Symphony of Love
by TheSkipRow
Summary: Alternate ending where Kaori survives her surgery and gets to see Kousei again. They can finally go on their journey together.
1. Chapter 1: A Second Chance

**After finally watching this fantastic anime, and hearing that even the author wished he could've changed the ending, I decided to try my hand at writing one.**

 _ **Chapter 1: A Second Chance**_

 _"This place... how did I end up here?"_ She thinks to herself as she's lying down in an endless sea, feeling like she could sink at any moment. She hears a heartbeat.

"Wait"

 _"This voice..."_ She hears another heartbeat.

"Don't go..."

 _Is that... Kousei?_ " She sees tears touching the water around her.

"Pester me for canelés again!"

 _"Why are you... crying?"_ She looks around her, but there's nothing except an endless sea and an infinite blue sky.

"Call me to kill time again!"

 _Am I..._

"I don't care if I'm just Friend A!"

 _Did I..._

"Don't go... Don't go... Please don't go!"

 _I don't want to, but..._

"Please don't leave me behind!"

 _"I wish I didn't have to... I wish I had more time, there's so much I wanted to say to you, so much I wanted to learn about you..."_ She says as tears start running down her cheeks. Suddenly she hears a sound.

 _"Is this... your piano?"_ The beautiful sounds that surround her start giving the sea different colors. The girl sinks into the water and starts to drown.

 _I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I only brought you more pain. I knew it would end like this... but I wanted to meet you. And now I have to leave you alone, the same way your mother did..."_

"Goodbye..." She hears him saying

 _"Forgive me, Kousei"_

* * *

"Hey, where are you going? Are you ok?" Aiza Takeshi shouted as he saw Kousei run away from the hallway.

"Let's go after hi- , uh?" He said, before Igawa Emi grabbed his sleeve with one hand while looking the other way.

"L-let him go... he's..." She said. "He needs to be somewhere else..."

"Emi... are you crying?" He noticed a few tears on her right cheek. She was trying to hide it. _She's right, back on the stage, Arima... he was crying. His performance wasn't about this contest anymore. He wasn't playing for the audience, he was saying farewell to something..._

Down the hallway Watari and Tsubaki were coming to see Kousei. Not knowing that he was gone as soon as he left the stage. "Hey, do you know where Kousei is?" Watari asked Takeshi.

"He just left, you missed him"

"Don't tell me..." Watari whispered to himself before starting to run for the exit.

"W-wait! Watari, where are you going?" said Tsubaki. But Watari was already outside by the time she spoke.

"H-hey, is Arima really ok? You're his neighbor, right? Any idea why he ran away like that?" Takeshi asked her.

 _He wants to see her..._

 _Dammit, Kousei! I can't leave y_

* * *

 _ou alone in this state, not if Kaori..._

Watari ran as fast as he could trying to catch Kousei before he reached the hospital. He remembered what Kaori told him the last time they met. She told him that she wanted to have another performance with Kousei one day, that he made her want to play the violin again.

 _Please let her be ok. I can't imagine what Kousei would do if she..._

He knew that Miyazono Kaori was having the surgery today. She hoped that it would let her walk again, that it would let her _live_ again, even just a little longer so she could fulfill her and Kousei's promise. But above all... she knew the chances of success were low... very low. The surgery was more likely to take her life than give it back to her.

* * *

 _Don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me! You promised we would perform together again, that you would struggle and succeed. You can't leave me, not like my mother, not again. Please, please, please, please..._

Arima Kousei was running faster than he ever ran before in his life. He had to go to the hospital, nothing else mattered, not the competition, not his friends, not even his own life. He was almost ran over by a car as he ran across the street. He even lost a button from his blue suit. He could barely see anything in this weather, the snow was hitting his face and his tears were almost freezing on his cheeks. She brought color back into his life, but now everything he saw was black and white.

As soon as he was outside the hospital he ran through the front door as fast as he could without caring what people would think about him.

"Miyazono Kaori, she's having a surgery right now, please tell me where she is!" he asked the first nurse he found.

"It's Arima" Someone said down the hallway. He looked and saw Kaori's parents, Ryouko and Yoshiyuki Miyazono. He didn't wait to hear if the nurse knew where she was, instead he went to ask her parents.

Before he could move someone else entered the hospital.

"Kousei!" Watari almost shouted when he saw him. "Are you all right? Is Kaori ok?"

He didn't wait to talk to Watari, he went to Kaori's parents in less than 5 seconds.

"Mr. Miyazono, is Kaori ok? Is she... is she.." Kousei couldn't breathe anymore, he was a complete mess. The running, the tears, the snow in his hair, his torn suit... he could barely stand.

"Kousei!" Yoshiyuki, Kaori's father, caught him as he almost fell on his knees and helped him to a nearby chair. "What happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter! Is Kaori ok? Please tell me she's ok, please..." That was all he could manage to say before his tears came back and he put his head in his hands once again.

Watari sat in the chair next to him and placed his hand on Kousei's shoulder, he was almost as worried about Kousei as he was about Kaori. He wanted to tell his best friend that everything will be all right, but he didn't know what to say.

Kaori's mother, Ryouko, embraced Kousei with a warm smile. Watari noticed that she's been crying too, and she still was.

"She survived" She told them. "Kaori lives, my daughter lives"

The hospital has never looked as colorful as it did in this moment.

* * *

 **All right. This is the first chapter. I have a whole story planned out, so don't worry, I'm not making it up as I go.**

 **I would appreciate some feedback in your reviews. Tell me what do you think, if you like the story and so on.**

 **I let some stories unfinished back in the day but I'm definitely finishing this one.**


	2. Chapter 2: Tears of Joy

**Here we go again, I decided to write as much as I can before I go back to college next week. Thank you for reading.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Tears of Joy**

 _She's alive... she's alive... she lives! Kaori lives!_ Kousei was about to break down when he entered the hospital. He was living his worst fears, his greatest nightmare, he was expecting the worst. The tears that represented his sorrow suddenly became tears of joy.

"Thank God!" Watari was celebrating next to him. He stood up from his chair and put his hands on Kousei's shoulders while looking straight into his eyes. "She's gonna be allright, Kousei!".

Suddenly the entrance's door opened once again. Kousei wouldn't have expected to see Takeshi and Emi here, but apparently they were too worried about their fellow pianist so they asked Tsubaki to take them to Arima.

Mr. and Ms. Miyazono were surprised to see so many kids there since they knew that Kaori didn't have many friends.

 _She always talks about Arima..._ Kaori's father was thinking. _Ever since she saw his performance almost 10 years ago. And here he is, crying his soul out. God, this kid is a mess..._ He just now noticed how Kousei looked, his hair was a mess, his suit was almost ruined and his glasses had a small crack in the left lense. _Guess Kaori made quite an impression to you, huh, boy?_

"Kousei" Yoshiyuki adressed him "I thought you were playing for that competition. Kaori would be disappointed if she knew you missed it for her."

"Uh? No, I... uh" Kousei was barely able to speak, still shivering from all that's been happening.

"The show is over, sir" Takeshi said. "Arima mopped the floor with us, he ran out as soon as he finished his performance" he said with a smile.

"Y-Yoshiyuki-san... is she, I mean, was the surgery a success?" Kousei asked him.

 _Just because she survived that doesn't mean she's rid of her disease. And even if it was a success it may have only given her more time before... No. Don't think like that, she'll be fine. There's no way she would be alive if the operation failed... she would hate me if she heard my thoughts right now._ Kousei gave a shot chuckle.

Before Yoshiyuki could say anything a doctor came to see Mr. and Ms. Miyazono.

"Good day" He seemed proud and happy. _I guess the operation truly was dangerous_. "Young Kaori is sleeping and uh... she'll wake up in a few hours. In the meantime I'll ask you to come with me, I have to uh... give you the details about her condition" He truly seemed exhausted.

"Kousei, we'll talk to you as soon as we can. Thank you for coming all the way here, I'm sure Kaori appreciates your concern.

"Thank you" he replied. Kousei turned back and saw that even Hiroko came. "Ya' heard that? She's ok!" Said Watari. "Let's go celebrate! A pizza for everyone, my treat!"

"I... I'll wait here, if... if that's ok" Kousei told them. Still shaken by the last hour's events.

They knew how much it affected him. Especially Watari, which is why he wanted to give him some space at the moment.

Tsubaki looked like she wanted to stay, but Watari whispered something in her ear and she left with the rest of them. To Kousei's surprise, Takeshi was still there. "So..." said Takeshi. "I guess now we know why you poured all of your soul into that performance."

"Emi felt it, you know?" he continued "I noticed the melody felt more... sorrowful, than it should be. But Emi knew why. She always understood us through music, she's way better than us when it comes to that"

"Yeah" Kousei replied "Although I didn't intend to play it like that. It just... came out that way".

Takeshi nodded. "So... her name is Kaori, eh?" He said with a smirk on his face, making Kousei blush a little. "I guess we all need a muse for our art"

"Listen, Arima. No. I guess I can call you Kousei if you call me Takeshi. I appreciate everything you've done for my sister. Nagi won't stop talking about what a good teacher you are and so on. I guess I never saw you as anything more than a rival but... if you ever need help with something, know that I'll be there for you. Emi too, she's not that good at talking about it but I know she feels the same way. You can always count on us." Takeshi finished with a smile.

 _I guess lately we've come to know each other much better. Me, Aiz- no, Takeshi and Emi._

"Thanks. You two can count on me too. Now go, I doubt I'll get news soon. And I doubt they'll leave you any pizza if you're late." Kousei replied, also with a smile.

Before Takeshi turned to leave he offered Kousei a hand shake. Kousei stood up from his chair and returned the gesture. "I'll beat you one day, Arima Kousei, either that or Emi will beat both of us." And then Takeshi left.

 _You said you don't need to come up with cool parting lines, you liar._ Kousei thought with a smile.

* * *

"I'll be honest with you. When your daughter asked for this surgery I didn't want to do it. This kind of operation is extremly risky, so dangerous in fact that if the operation is not successful the patient loses his life." Doctor Miura told Mr. and Ms. Miyazono.

"So, since she survived, does that mean..." Mr. Miyazono said.

"The point of this surgery is to slow down the disease, to give the patient a few more years of life" he replied.

Ms. Miyazono started crying. "But she'll live a few more years, no? I guess she'll be happy to-" she couldn't finish the sentence. "My little girl" She started whispering to herself.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I should've finished what I had to say" he continued. " As I was saying, the purpose of this operation was to slow down the disease. I remember telling you years ago that we're making advances, that in a few years we might be able to remove the disease entirely" A spark lightened in the couple's eyes.

"The last two years there have been 542 patients with identical conditions. 107 of them here in Japan, the rest all over the world. The reports I've read told me that of the 107 people who chose this surgery here in Japan 67 lost their lives, and 35 of them gained a few more years of life. The other 5 however... had the disease removed entirely" He said proudly.

"Are you saying that... that Kaori..." Mr. Miyazono was unable stop his tears.

"With your daughter's operation being successful... that makes 6" Doctor Miura himself was tearing up.

Mr. Miyazono couldn't contain his happines, he and the doctor gave eachother a hug.

"Ryouko!" He was crying next to his wife before he embraced her. Both of them crying tears of joy. "Our little girl is going to live a full life!"

"Thank you, Miura-san! Thank you!"

"You also need to thank your daughter. Her determination is what made this operation a success. I'll tell you the truth, we almost lost her at one point."

The couple were listening to every word the doctor was saying.

"For three entire minutes she was gone, she had no pulse. Nothing we tried worked, there was no heartbeat. I was prepared to declare her dead... but suddenly she came back. I heard of such situations from other doctors but this is the first time I've seen it myself. Young Kaori has a remarkable will to live"

"When can we see her, Miura-san?" asked Ryouko.

"I would normally tell you to wait until she wakes up, but by now the danger has passed, you can go see her. But I suggest you to try not to wake her up, the poor girl is probably exhausted"

"Thank you again, Miura, thank you... thank you" Mr. Miyazono was still holding Ryouko in his arms. "This nightmare is over, Ryouko. Our little girl will live, she'll live an entire life... she'll live" He could barely speak with all the tears on his cheeks.

* * *

"Kousei-kun!" Ms. Miyazono was calling when she saw Kousei still sitting on the same chair where they last saw him.

"Ms. Miyazono!" Kousei was excited "Did the doctor tell you wha-" suddenly Ryouko hugged him.

"She'll live! Her disease is completely gone! She'll live!" She told him.

Kousei couldn't hold his tears anymore.

 _You mean a lot to him... don't you, Kao..._ Mr. Miyazono was thinking.

"Miura-san, the doctor, told us that we can see her" Ryouko told Kousei. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Of cou-" _No... she wouldn't want to see me first, her parents obviously mean a lot more to her than Friend A does._

 _"I'll... I'll wait until she wakes up" he replied._

Mr. Miyazono seemed surprised. _But he doesn't know how much he means to you, does he, Kao?_ "I'll come get you as soon as she wakes up, Kousei" Yoshiyuki said and hugged him. "Thank you for everything you did for my daughter, Arima Kousei".

* * *

 **That's the second chapter, I hope you enjoy my story. I have a lot of free time until Monday so I thought I should write as much as I can for now.**

 **By the way. Thank you, MeridianPine for your words. I'm reading and enjoying your story too.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Colorful View

**All Right! New chapter! I know I'm kinda teasing you people with Kaori, but I wanted her to have a special chapter, so here we go. As usual, thanks for reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A Colorful View**

The world was an endless dark sea. Not even the sky's bright color could break through its barriers. The girl remembered what she once heard.

 _"When you're in love with somebody, everything looks colorful."_

 _But there's no color down here... I am alone..._

"No, you're not. I'm always here for you"

 _That voice! Is it... is it you, Kousei?_

The girl was looking around, but there was nothing except darkness. Once she started sinking she couldn't see the blue sky anymore. She doesn't remember how long she's been in this dark place.

"Remember what you once told me? Whether you're sad, you're a mess, or you've hit rock bottom, you still have to play! That's how people like us survive."

 _But... I don't have my violin. I can't play without it..._

"Then listen"

She starts hearing something.

 _This melody... I remember it._

The water surrounding the girl starts moving. Suddenly bubbles of air start showing up.

 _Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso! It's the one we played together._

"It doesn't sound right without a proper violinist, would you like to help me?

 _I told you, I don't have a violin._

"You don't need one, just imagine we're still playing together"

 _"Just imagine"?_

The girl slowly moves his arms and starts playing an invisible violin. The sounds it makes send shockwaves through the dark water.

 _It's working!?_

"Easy there, don't steal my thunder"

 _That's my line. I don- Hey, wait, you changed the piece._

"Remember the one you wanted us to play together?"

 _Love's Sorrow... Kousei..._

"I already played it alone, how about we play something new together?"

 _Love's Joy?_

"Yeah, I would love to play it with you" he replied. "Even in the depths of the darkest oceans, some light always pierces through"

The dark sea was slowly losing it's grip on the girl. She could see a tiny blue light in the distance. The sea itself was slowly regaining color.

 _I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise..._

"Don't worry, we'll have a second chance"

 _But... Kousei, I'm gone. I won't see you again._

"I won't leave you down there, Kaori. Not before I can tell you the truth."

The girl was slowly emerging out of the water. The colors surrounding her were no longer monotone, the sea and the sky were like a rainbow. And the sun's warm light was finally touching her skin again.

 _It's so warm... Thank you, Kousei. I wish I could come back and tell you the truth..._

"Then why don't you?"

 _I don't know how._

"You already taught me how to escape that place, remember? Look up. Look up and look at me."

The girl opened her eyes and looked directly into the infinite sky.

 _It's so warm..._

"Karoi? Sweety, can you hear me?"

 _Is that... my mother?_

The girl opened her once again, this time she found herself in a bright and colorful room where the sun's warmth touched her skin.

"Mom?" She called quietly.

* * *

"Hey there, Kao" her dad also joined her by the side of the bed.

"You're back" her mother and father said with a joyous tone. They knew that their little girl will finally be happy once again.

They spent a few minutes talking about what happened, of how her operation was a success and how she won't have to suffer anymore.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you, Kao" her father added.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Your friend, Kousei, he came to see what happened to you. You wouldn't believe how he came her, poor guy was a complete mess."

"Sounds like Kousei" she gave a quiet chuckle.

"His hair was wet from the melting snow, his glasses were cracked, his suit was almost ruined and he was limping slightly." he said. "His friends came worried for him. They tell me he won the competition"

"He did?" She was happy to hear it.

"Is he still here?" She didn't want to look to excited to see him. He was still Friend A as far as everyone knew.

"He didn't move from that hallway all night." Her father gave a short chuckle. "Doctor Miura said you'll wake up in a few hours, yesterday. I guess he didn't know my little girl well enough.

 _Kousei is still here!_

"Mom? Can I... see him?" she asked shyly.

"I promised I'll go get him when you wake up" He gave her a kiss on the forehead before heading out to bring Kousei.

* * *

Mr. Miyazono was expecting to find him sleeping on one of the couches on the first floor. Suddenly he heard someone singing.

"Twinkle, Twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are"

He was surprised to find Kousei sitting next to three little kids. He was playing a melodica for them while singing. _Kao always used to sing for the kids in the park._

"Kousei-kun" He called when Kousei finished singing. Once Kousei noticed him Mr. Miyazono could see he looked like he didn't sleep all night. _Poor kid..._

"She wants to see you" he told him.

Suddenly Kousei's face lightened up and his cheeks regained their color. Mr. Miyazono could see his eyes sparkle. The Arima Kousei that arrived to the hospital last night was a complete different person than the Arima Kousei in front of him at this moment.

The walk through the hospital hallways felt like an endless maze for Kousei. He could feel every second like it was an eternity. He was excited and terrified at the same time, he couldn't think of what he could talk to Kaori about. But he remembered what Watari told him once. "You'll figure that out once you're there". Mr. Miyazono opened the door to Kaori's room and all Kousei could see was... a colorful view.

* * *

 **Roll Credits! Sorry for the cliffhanger.**

 **I hope you enjoy reading my story. I have the whole thing planned out yet I keep adding stuff to it. This chapter was supposed to be shorter, much shorter, and be part of Chapter 2. But I wanted Kaori's "resurrection" to feel a little more special.**

 **Thanks for reading, guys!**


	4. Chapter 4: My Special One

**Well, here we are, folks. It's finally time for Kousei and Kaori to have a talk after all the stuff they've been through. I hope you like it. And by the way. I hope you noticed some of the callbacks in Chapter 3. Thanks for reading.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: My Special One**

"Yo" Kaori said with a bright smile. Kousei hasn't seen that smile for a while now, it felt like years. The last time they met was on the snowy hospital rooftop. It was there that Kousei finally realized how scared she was. So seeing her smile now made him smile too.

"Yo" he said in return.

"I heard your performance left the audience speechless" she said. "I guess they didn't like it".

"H-hey, wait a sec-" he said before she started laughing.

 _That sound... How long has it been since I last heard her laugh? I think it was back on the roof when I told her I want us to play together again._ Kousei kep smiling. Hearing Kaori laugh took away all the painful memories of yesterday.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding" she still couldn't stop laughing.

Her parents were truly happy to see their daughter laughing again after all this time.

"Me and Ryouko are going to eat something, do you want something, Kousei?" Mr. Miyazono asked him.

"N-no, thank you, Mr. Miyazono" The truth is that Kousei hasn't eaten since before his performance yesterday. But he wouldn't let them know that now.

"Call me Yoshiyuki. Well then, I'll leave you kids talk. We'll be back in an hour or so, please take care of Kao, Kousei" Yoshiyuki told him.

"Can I have some sweets?" Kaori added.

"I'll ask Miura-san if we can get you any." He replied.

Once the door was closed Kousei and Kaori were alone in the colorful room. _I never thought I would be glad to find myself in this room... Not after all she's been through here._ It was surprising, Kaori's simple presence gave the room a different aura, like the sun on a rainy day.

"Hey" he hears her saying quietly, almost whispering.

Her hair already looked more colorful than it did before. Once she started to give up on herself she also started to lose her color. But a certain boy asked her to dream again, to play with him again. He was a cruel boy, asking her to live... But in the end, their promise let the girl feel the sun's warmth once again.

"I heard you play" she continued.

 _Does she mean... at the competition? But how..._

"Did your parents have a recording or-? He started

"No..." she interrupted him "I heard you while I was asleep..." she said with a warm smile.

The silence that followed was almost embarrassing, but not in an awkward way. It was a solemn silence, like both the boy and the girl wanted to say something but they couldn't.

Kousei didn't know what to say to that answer, although he didn't need to say anything. The room's door opened and Kaori's nurse came in.

"Good morning Kaori-chan, I'm sorry to interrupt but doctors need to see you" she told her in a kind tone.

Kaori wasn't yet able to move, so the nurse helped her to a wheelchair.

"Don't leave yet, I still want to talk to you" She told Kousei before the nurse took her away.

The door closed and Kousei was left alone in Kaori's room. He was still thinking about what he'll say to her once she comes back. _I just stood here like an idiot... Tsubaki was right, Kaori likes Watari. I'm a horrible friend..._

* * *

"By the way, Kao-chan. Is he your boyfriend?" the nurse asked as she was pushing her wheelchair slowly.

Kaori wasn't expecting that question, it made her blush while thinking for an answer.

"N-no, h-he's my... my accompanist. That's right! He's just my accompanist." she answered a little too quickly.

 _Huh, kids nowadays... That boy looked like his world was ending yesterday._

"A-anyway, what does Miura-san want to tell me? My parents already told me the details about my situation" Kaori asked the nurse.

"He wants to see how you're feeling. You also need some tests. Nothing too serious, don't worry you're not in any danger anymore" The nurse was almost tearing up.

It wasn't only her family that was heartbroken because of Kaori's condition. Seeing such a happy young girl doomed by a disease was painful for everyone at the hospital. Nurse Ayako especially considered quitting her job because she couldn't look the poor girl in the eyes knowing her fate.

 _This was truly a miracle..._

* * *

Kousei couldn't think of anything while alone in her room. He just sat on the edge of her bed while looking out the window. Yesterday the snow covered the sky entirely, now the sun managed to break through the barrier and spread it's color around. Kousei was especially captivated by a plane that was heading west.

 _I hope I can stay in Japan after that contest... I don't want to leave her alone anymore. No. What am I thinking, she doesn't need nor does she want me here. I bet she wishes Watari was here instead._

Tsubaki's words kept repeating in his head. "Kaori like Watari".

He also remembered Watari's words. "It's only natural for the girl you're crushing on to be in love with someone else. Since you're in love with her, she sparkles in your eyes. That's why people fall so irrationally in love."

 _But Watari said he thinks she cares more about me... Why would he say such a thing? I'm sure he's jus- huh?_

Kousei only now noticed a white envelope on Kaori's table. It was laying next to the book she's been reading. _A letter?_ He looked intrigued. It had a black kitty on it, he remembered when she bought it. Before he could think of anything he took the envelope in his hand for closer inspection. He then noticed the writing on the back, "To Mr. Arima Kousei". _For me? Why would she write me a letter?_ He wanted to open it, but before he could even move the door opened again. With a quick movement he put the envelope in his suit's pocket.

"Yo" Kaori said as the nurse brought her back into her room. Still smiling as the nurse placed her slowly on her bed, Kaori turned to Kousei. "Listen, the doctor says I'm going to be fine!" she was almost radiating happiness. So much that Kousei couldn't help but smile. They didn't even notice when Nurse Ayako left them alone again.

"It's gonna be a while before I can walk again, ya know?" Kaori told him. "Apparently I have to take it slowly, at least 3 weeks before I can leave this place. And still a few months before I can walk properly."

"Knowing you, you'll be walking out of here on your own in a few days" Kousei replied with a warm smile.

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Kaori gestured him towards the bed. "Can you... sit next to me?" she asked him while pointing to the chair.

"S-sure" he replied. Still thinking about the letter, Kousei thought it would be a good idea to ask her about it. But he couldn't muster the courage to do it. So instead he just sat next to her, both looking into eachother's eyes. No words were needed for them.

"Now... tell me... I wanted to ask you-" she started looking angry. _Did she notice I took the letter?_ "You know today is a school day, right?" Turns out that the anger he was seeing was just disappointment. "You shouldn't have stayed here all night." She was looking away from him, like she was hiding something she didn't want him to see. "What happens if you're not accepted into that high school you wanted?" She continued, her voice wavering slightly. "Y-you need to start practicing more".

He gave a quiet chuckle. "Don't worry, I got it covered. I'll be happy anywhere as long as yo-" he stopped himself befoer he could finish. "A-As long as I send them th-the recording of my performance. I'm sure they'll accept me if they hear it" he finished a little too quickly. He didn't even notice he started blushing.

This was the perfect time to ask her about the letter. Kousei didn't want to look like a creep, stealing it like that. It would've been easier if he just asked her. Sadly though, he still couldn't muster his courage. He decided to beat around the bush a little.

"H-hey, remember when we went shopping a few weeks ago?" He started.

She turned to face him again. "Yeah, why?"

"I... I recall that you bought some en-" the door opened before he could finish.

"Kao, Miura said you'll be able to leave in 2 weeks!" Mr. Miyazono looked ecstatic, which in turn made Kaori smile.

Kousei got up from his chair. "I th- I think I should leave now." he told them.

Kaori's smile faded as quickly as it appeared. It was only morning, she had so much he wanted to tell him. But she couldn't find the right words.

"O-ok, I'll see you tomorrow, r-right?" She asked him.

"Y-yeah" he replied.

"Here, Kousei. Let me walk you out." Mr. Miyazono said. He noticed how his daughter reacted when Kousei sad he had to leave.

On their way down the halls Mr. Miyazono started telling Kousei the details about Kaori's surgery.

"She was happy to see you" He said. "So, please visit her again from time to time if you're not to busy." He offered Kousei a handshake before he left.

* * *

Kousei couldn't go to school now, so instead he headed home. On his way he got a call from Hiroko who was worried about him. "Yeah, I'm going home - yeah, thank you".

As soon as he got home he laid down on his bed. He wasn't able to sleep last night, but sleep wouldn't come now either... Listening to music didn't help either. His favorite song was playing. _"It was you, my special one / Who opened my eyes..."_ The song just kept reminding him of her...

 _That's right, the letter!_ he remembered.

He took the envelope out of his pocket and started looking at it. "To Mr. Arima Kousei" it said. _Why would she write me a le- no..._ he realized. _This was her goodbye..._

* * *

"Kaori, we'll bring you some sweets. We won't be long" her parents told her.

Once the door closed she laid down on her bed trying to fall asleep. But sleep wouldn't come. She couldn't sleep now, not after she saw him again.

 _Kousei..._

She decided she could read, and hopefully finish, the book that the two boys brought her.

As soon as she looked around she noticed something.

 _The envelope!_

She only now realized that it was missing. Her heart started racing.

 _Did my parents... no, it was here when I woke up. Does that mean... Kousei took it?_

* * *

 **There. Done. I know I'm moving slowly with the plot but I want to build up their relationship a little more before things get serious. Hope you're not disappointed.**

 **As usual, Thanks for Reading and Have a nice Day!**


	5. Chapter 5: Her Lie In April

**Back to work, then. I hope you guys noticed that the song Kousei was listening to is the first OP of Your Lie In April. I like throwing some Easter Eggs here and there. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Her Lie In April**

 _This was her goodbye..._

Kousei was still shocked by the realization. Kaori didn't expect to survive her surgery and she left this letter for him.

 _That's a little cruel of you, don't you think?_ He thought. _Will you be mad at me if I read it now?_ His curiosity wouldn't give him peace until he knew the contents of her letter. _Well... I guess I'm only Friend A anyway. It's probably just a few words and a farewell._

Kousei seated himself in his living room. He turned off his TV so there wouldn't be any distractions. After thinking his decision over for five minutes he finally opened the envelope.

* * *

 _I'm sure he's going to hate me now..._ Kaori was thinking.

 _I never planned this far ahead, I knew ever since before I met you that this... dream of mine could never come true. It's why I decided to hide the truth from you, I didn't want to cause you and your friends any problems._

 _Should I try calling him? No, it's been a few hours since he left. He's probably read the letter by now. He... probably knows by now..._

 _I'm sorry, Kousei... please don't hate me..._

* * *

"Dear Arima Kousei, It feels weird writing a letter to someone you were just with..."

 _It really is a farewell letter..._

"You're the worst."

 _E-eh? Did I annoy her that much or something?_

"Indecisive. Gullible. Twit."

 _I shouldn't have opened it..._

"The first time I ever saw you perform, I was 5 years old."

 _5? Did she know me that long?_

"It was at a recital for the piano school I was going to. This awkward, clumsy kid came onto the stage and accidentally hit the piano stool with his butt. It was too funny."

 _Oh._ Kousei gave a hearfelt chuckle. _I remember that. So you were in the audience?_

"He turned to the piano that was way too big for him and the moment he played that first note, I was drawn in."

 _I remember... I'm glad to know you liked it._ He smiled.

"The girl next to me started crying. I wasn't expecting that at all."

 _Neighter was I._

"And even so, you gave up the piano. Even though it totally changed other people's lives."

"You're the worst."

 _Now I'm feeling guilty. I didn't realize that moment meant so much to you..._

"Indecisive. Gullible. Twit."

 _Here we go again._

"When I found out we were in the same middle school, I was ecstatic. But how would I ever come to talk to you?"

 _You wanted to meet me?_

"Maybe I'd hang out at the lunch concession. Instead, I just watched you from afar."

 _Why?_

"I mean. After all. You all seemed to get along so well."

 _You mean me, Watari and Tsubaki?_

"There wasn't really any space in there for someone like me."

 _You idiot... of course there was._

"When I was a kid, I had to have an operation and I started having to be at the hospital for regular check-ups. In the first year of middle school, I collapsed and I was admitted over and over. With every visit, I was there for longer and longer. Really, I didn't get to class much in middle school, I spent more time at the hospital."

"And I knew something was wrong with my body."

Kousei felt tears in his eyes. _You knew ever since..._

"One night, I saw my parents crying in the waiting room and I knew that my time was running out."

The tear he felt in his eyes was now running down his cheek.

"That's when I ran away."

 _Huh?_

"I didn't want to bring my regrets with me to heaven, so I stopped holding back from what the things I always wanted to do."

 _Heh, that does sound like you..._

"I wasn't scared anymore to get contact lenses."

 _Wait a sec, you wear contact lenses?_ Kousei couldn't imagine Kaori wearing glasses.

"I ate what I wanted instead of always worrying about my weight."

 _That could've easily backfired, you know?_

"And I took the music with all its high and mighty directives and played it the way I wanted."

 _That's what I admired the most about you._

"And then... I just told a single lie"

 _What?_

"I lied and said that I, Miyazono Kaori, liked Watari Ryouta."

 _W-wait a second, what?_

"That lie would bring before me..."

"Arima Kousei, it brought you to me"

 _B-but, you said..._

"Please apologize to Watari for me... though I'm sure he's forgotten me by now. I think I need someone more wholehearted and earnest than him. I think we'd be fine as friends though."

"And please apologize to Tsubaki for me too. I want for there to be no hard feelings. And there was one thing I could never ask of her, to ask her directly to introduce the two of us. I don't think she would've had an answer for me."

 _Why wouldn't she?_

"After all, she was in love with you. We all knew that. I think the only people who didn't know were you and her."

 _Tsubaki... likes me? N-no, you're wrong. She only thinks of me as a friend, r-right?_

Kousei only now realized why she acted so weird those few time they were together.

"My underhanded lie brought forth a person who was so far from how I imagined them to be. You were more negative and passive than I thought. Not to mention stubborn, relentless, and a camera voyeur. Your voice was deeper than I thought, and you were more manly than I thought."

 _Is that really how you saw me?_

"And you were just as gentle as I thought."

That sentence took Kousei by surprise.

"Remember that bridge we jumped off? The water was so cool and refreshing. Racing each other alongside the train. I really thought I could win. The moon was saw from the music room that night, like a delicious-looking bun. Singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with you as we rode on that bike together. Then falling out time. We're awful singers. At the school at night. I'm still sure there was something there. The falling snow, just like cherry blossoms."

Kousei closed his eyes, thinking about all of their little adventures. He remembered the lyrics of his favorite song. " _Every dramatic frame we painted on that film roll will stay forever etched in my memories" I'll never forget our time together, Kaori._

"To be so consumed by everything off-stage when I'm a musician just doesn't make sense, does it? Isn't it funny how the most unforgettable scenes can be so trivial?"

 _That's not true._

"What about you?"

"Was I able to live inside someone's heart?

 _Yes, you were._

"Was I able to live inside your heart?"

 _You made yourself at home as soon as you barged in._

"Do you think you'll remember me at least a little?"

 _If I ever forgot you, you know you'd come back to haunt me._

"You'd better not hit "reset"!"

 _As if I ever would..._

"Don't forget me, okay?"

 _I never will._

"That's a promise, okay?"

 _Okay._

"I'm really glad it's you, after all."

"Will I reach you? I hope I can reach you"

 _You reached me the very first time we met._

"Arima Kousei..."

"I love you"

"I love you"

"I love you"

Kousei managed to hold his tears back a little, but he couldn't stop them now. He started crying with a smile on his face.

 _You idiot... I love you, too._

"Sorry I didn't finish all the caneles. Sorry I hit you so much. Sorry I was such a brat."

"Sorry a million times over"

"Thank You"

"-Miyazono Kaori"

 _You're so selfish... I'm the one who should be thanking you..._

 _"_ P.S: I'm enclosing something that I've always treasured. If you don't want it, feel free to tear it up and throw it away"

It was a picture. Kousei recognized the little girl, it was Kaori. She and one of her friends. There was another kid behind her, he was just passing by when the photo was taken" _Wait..._ Kousei thought as he realized who the kid was. Even though he's been crying for over 20 minutes now, he didn't think the tears would stop anytime soon...

 _You idiot... you should've come talk to me sooner..._

* * *

 **That's it folks. I know the chapter was a little short but the next one is coming in a few hours. Hope you caught the second time I used the first OP's lyrics in this story. I listened to it so many times now. The lyrics fit the story like a glove.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6: My Lie In April

**New Chapter. Here we go. I'm starting see why people enjoy Easter Eggs so much in games and movies. It gives the creator a little space that he can have fun with. Hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: My Lie In April**

 _The moment I met her... My whole life changed. Everything I saw... Everything I heard... Everything I felt. Everything around me started to fill with glorious color._

 _That's what happened the first day I met her. A friend told me that when you're in love with somebody, eveything looks colorful. Until that moment all I saw looked like it was in monotone. Just like the music scores... Just like a keyboard._

 _I thought my life was normal, that I was an average person, that I was happy._

 _I met a girl back in april. She looked like an angel playing a melodica, ejoying every second of her life. It was then that I realized what a pitiful life I was leading. Compared to her radiant colors, I was an old piano covered in dust._

 _I met a girl back in april. She showed me how to live my life, and how to enjoy living. She helped me regain something I lost years before, something I didn't realize was lost. The joy she helped me regain would change my life forever. The lessons she taught me, I would pass them on to others... forever._

 _I met a girl back in april... and my life regained its color._

* * *

Her room was always a grim reminder of her fate. It was a cage, depriving her of the wonders of the outside world. Every moment spent there was time she couldn't afford to lose. She hated being there, she hated every second she had to spend surrounded by these terrifying four walls. But something... changed. She never realized how beautiful the view outside of her window really was. She never realized how blessed she was to have so many friends. Friends who were truly happy to see her, friends who would give anything to make her happy.

 _Kousei didn't come back yesterday..._

The boy promised her parents that he would come visit her. That he would keep her company. He didn't know how scared she was of being alone. She didn't want him to know. The girl taught him how to enjoy his life. _I can't blame him if he wants to live in the moment, like I did..._

 _Watari-kun and Tsubaki-chan came by and brought me flowers and even more books than before. This time I promise I'll finish reading them._

The door slowly started to open and the girl's heart skipped a beat.

 _Is it-?_

The boy who came in looked familiar, it took Kaori a few seconds to remember who he was.

"Aiza Takeshi" she recalled his name. "Hi. I don't think we've properly met before."

"Miyazono Kaori, nice to meet you" he said in return.

"I don't want to sound rude but... why are you here?" she said. "We don't know each other, right?"

"We have a common friend" He replied. "I wanted to meet the girl who made Arima Kousei play the piano again"

"He was my hero, you know?" he continued. "I started playing the piano with only one objective in mind. Only one goal. And that was to reach him, to become worthy of being his friend"

 _Just like me..._

"I was surprised when I met the real Arima. He wasn't the mighty hero I imagined, instead he was a... a normal person. It made me realize that there's not much of a difference between him and me."

 _Kousei's performance reached more people than I tought. I remember that little girl who started crying next to me, I remember how I felt when I first heard him. I remember when I first met him..._

"Kousei is a really nice guy once you get to know him, isn't he?" She said.

* * *

"Hey Watari!" Tsubaki almost shouted in the school corridor. "Did you see Kousei?"

"He didn't come today either" He replied in a worried tone. "I guess he's not at home either if you're asking me"

"No, I went by but he's not there" she added.

The last time the two saw Arima Kousei was at the hospital two days ago. He refused to come with them to celebrate Kaori's recovery. The following day they heard from Kaori's parents that Kousei spent the night at the hospital, waiting for Kaori to wake up.

"Where the hell could he be! I swear, when I see that idiot I'll make sure he never disappears on us again!" She added with an outraged tone.

"Listen... I'm sure he's ok. He just needs some time to be by himself. Let's go by his house after school's over. I'm sure we'll find him" Watari told her.

 _Don't miss your chance, Kousei. I already told you she doesn't like me, didn't I? You almost lost her._ Watari thought.

* * *

"Yeah, that's how me and Emi first met him" Takeshi said laughing "He was just completely ignoring us"

Kaori was laughing too. She enjoyed hearing more about Kousei from someone who knew him back then.

"I guess you've heard by now that he won the competition, right? Two days ago." He asked her.

She nodded.

"When he came on stage I thought he was going to break again. The same way he did years ago. He sat in the chair and started crying. He was about to break, but... he found it in himself to start playing. By the time he was done I swear I saw almost half the audience crying. He got up from his chair, acknowledged them and started running away from the stage." He told her.

 _Kousei..._

"I tried to ask him if he needed help or something, he went by in a flash. His friends came looking for him. The guy, Watari, ran after him. Me and Emi asked Tsubaki if she knew what was going on with them and she told us about... well, about you. And your operation." He added.

"Go on" She told him.

"When we got to the hospital I saw Kousei sitting on a chair on the first floor. And it was then when realized again that my hero is a normal person. He looked like the the world was ending, I don't think I've seen someone so devastated before."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kaori asked him.

After a short silence he answered.

"Why indeed. I don't really know. I just wanted to share this with you. After I saw the way he got here... Watari says he almost got run over by a truck. I guess I wanted to meet the person that matters so much to him."

Kaori blushed slightly.

He got up, preparing to leave. "When you see him again..." He started. "Please take care of him. Don't let him fall into that dark pit again."

Before he could close the door Kaori added "T-thank you for telling me more about Kousei."

"See ya" He said as he left.

 _Aiza Takeshi and Igawa Emi... We're very much alike. Kousei's performance captured all of us..._ She remembered about the letter. _He didn't come back... He must hate me..._

* * *

"Hey! Kousei!" Tsubaki and Watari were almost screaming outside Kousei's house.

"He keeps a spare key under this vase here" Tsubaki said as she took the key and opened the door.

They looked into every corner but Arima Kousei was nowhere to be found. They spent almost two hours looking for him and asking the neighbours. No one's seen him since he came home yesterday. The two eventually decided it would be for the best to leave. Tsubaki would call Watari if Kousei came home, there was nothing more they could do.

* * *

The twilight was a magical setting. To some it might represent a farewell, an ending. But today it looked more colorful than usual.

The boy was standing outside a hospital room with a box of chocolates in one hand and a gift in the other. He put the box down on a table next to him before touching the door handle. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

 _I met a girl back in april. We spent a lot of time together. We walked together... The slightest little things would make us laugh... In the end I wasn't able to tell her how I feel... Instead I told a single lie. I didn't lie to someone else... Instead I lied to myself. I said that we could never be together._

 _I met a girl back in april... and I fell in love._

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this one. I don't have much to say this time. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 7 is coming soon.**


	7. Chapter 7: I Love You

**Chapter 7: I Love You**

 _She told me once that we should live our lives to the fullest, because no one knows what tomorrow might bring. She also said that if you have a dream, then chase it, make it real and never let go of it. It took a lot of courage for me to come here, but I'll follow her example..._

"Yo" he said, a little more confident than he expected.

The girl didn't know how to react, she just looked at him for a few seconds. Kousei could swear he saw some tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything Kousei interrupted her.

"Before you say anything, I have to apologize..." He said.

 _I have a lot to apologize for..._

"Sorry I couldn't come back yesterday. I... I needed some time to... to think"

He looked her in the eyes, expecting a reaction.

 _She knows I took the letter..._

"Miyazono Kaori" He said, even more confident than before. "I believe we made a promise to each other." He started smiling. "I can't wait for us to play together again"

Suddenly the girl's expression changed. At first she was surprised, but now she was smiling. A genuine, heartfelt smile...

"Sit down, I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about" She said to him.

The warm smile didn't leave his face, and it won't leave it anytime soon. Not when he's so close to her. _It was you, my special one. You opened my eyes..._ He gave a chuckle remembering those lyrics. "Sorry, I just remembered something" he added before sitting down next to her bed.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He only now realized he left the box of chocolates and her gift outside. "Please don't tell me someone took them" he was whispering to himself. He was too focused on mustering up all of his courage to open the door and he forgot the gifts outside.

They were exactly where he left them. He bought the box of chocolates as an apology. And the package he was carrying was something he hoped she would like.

"Here" He said, a little to quickly while handing her the box

"Chocolate?" She said surprised. "Kousei! These are expensive!"

He didn't care how much he paid for them, he only remembers asking for the best they had.

"Well, I expect you to eat all of it then" He said. He didn't expect that to make her laugh, but it did.

Hearing her laugh again felt different.

"I also bought you this!" He said with an excited tone while handing her the bigger package.

She didn't want to ask what it is. Instead she asked for his help to unpack it. As soon as the paper was out of the way she noticed a familiar shape.

"A teddy bear?" she was surprised.

"It's my gift for you. I forgot to bring you something the first time I came so..."

A single tear rolled down Kaori's cheek. Upon noticing it, Kousei was a little shaken.

"S-sorry, I... I'll bring you something else if you don't like it" He said shily.

"You idiot..." she said quietly. "I love it" she added with another genuine smile.

They sat together in silence once again. Both of them seemed like they wanted to say something but were waiting for the other one to start.

 _Tsubaki was right... Everything becomes colorful when you love someone._

Kousei got up from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed, looking directly into her eyes.

"Kaori..." he started.

The girl was taken by surprise. _He never called me by my first name before!_ she noticed.

He took her hand into his and gave her another warm smile.

"I'll never leave you again" he told her. The girl tried her best to keep her tears at bay. But the boy's smile and his words were too much. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. Before she could say anything the boy embraced her.

"I promise I won't leave you alone again... Miyazono Kaori"

 _I never called you by your name before, did I..._

"I promise I'll always be by your side..."

They held each other for a little while. Neither of them wanting to let go of the other.

 _Her hair is soft..._

Kousei finally decided to let go. Still holding her hand, he looked into her eyes.

 _I remember that night we looked at the stars together. A lump of steel, like a shooting star. Just seeing the same sky as you makes familiar scenery look different. I swing between hope and despair at your slightest gesture, and my heart starts to play a melody. What kind of feeling is this again? What do they call this kind of feeling? I think it's probably called... Love. I'm sure this is what they call love_

 _Everything you say and do... it all sparkles so brightly. It's too blinding for me, and I end up closing my eyes. But I can't help aspiring to be like you..._

"Kaori..."

Upon hearing him say her name again her heart skipped a beat.

"I love you"

* * *

 **Well. I hope you liked this chapter. I couldn't decide if I wanted Kousei's confession to be "I love you" or "I'm in love with you". In the end I decided that "to love" feels much more intimate than "to be in love". If you think I'm moving the plot too slow then leave me review with your thoughts. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8: Let's Go On A Journey

**Chapter 8: Let's Go On A Journey**

Over the last two days her room gained more color than it ever had before. The girl who once hated this room was now completely oblivious to its walls. The barriers that kept the girl from freedom were fading away. Once she heard the boy's words, those barriers were shattered.

"I love you" He said. She never dreamed of hearing these words, not coming form him. Her little fantasy was built on a lie... A lie that allowed her to meet this boy. Knowing she didn't have much time, she wanted him to at least remember her...

"I love you" He said again, this time a little more confident. She was still unable to move.

"I'll always love you..."He said once again, that warm smile never leaving his face.

She didn't care if he read her letter, not anymore. The only thing that mattered in this moment was the fact that this boy in front of her, the one she loves, told her that he loves her.

"You idiot..." she said quietly while tears still covered her cheeks. "How can you say that while crying like that?" She also had a smile on her face.

They started laughing quietly for a short moment and then the boy continued...

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this sooner..." he said while looking at their hands, still holding each other.

"Kousei..." she started.

"Um?" He looked at her with a curious expression.

"I love you, too." she told him, with the warmest expression the boy has ever seen.

"Also..." she continued.

"Do you have something else you want to tell me?" she gave him a suspicious look.

 _Crap... she knows._

"You're really cruel... you know that?" He said with a chuckle.

He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a familiar envelope. "I'm sorry I took it, but my curiosity got the better of me once I saw my name on it".

"Did you... read it?" she asked shily.

"Yup." he said. "And I'm glad I did" The smile still wouldn't leave his face.

"Were you... were you going to tell me?" he asked her just as shily.

"I... I don't know..." she said looking at their entwined hands. "I didn't think I would... be alive to tell you. And even if I was, I only expected the surgery to give me a few more months. I... I didn't want to tell you only to leave you..." She was unable to look into his eyes now.

He lifted her chin with his other hand, so he could see her eyes.

"You're not going to leave me... wherever you're going, I'm coming with you. We promised we'll go on a journey, remember?".

The tears came again.

This time it was the girl who hugged the boy. "Thank you..." she whispered.

They spent a few minutes talking about mundane things until finally a nurse came in.

"Arima-kun? I'm sorry, but the visitor hours are over. You should head home now."

They both looked very disappointed. They had so much they wanted to talk about, and yet... time was never on their side.

The nurse noticed their expressions. "Kaori-chan needs to rest. You can come by tomorrow as well. Then she left.

"I guess I should go... I'll come tomorrow before school too. I..." He didn't know what he wanted to say so he turned to leave.

The girl caught his sleeve.

"Kousei" she wanted to say something.

"I... No, if you want to hear it you'll have to come by tomorrow!" She said with a happy expression.

Kousei gave a chuckle. "Yeah, I promise!"

* * *

On the way home he was looking at his phone. He didn't check it since he arrived to the hospital two days ago. As soon as he turned it on he saw 47 missed calls from Tsubaki, Watari, his mentor Hiroko and even one from Nagi.

 _...I messed up... They're going to kill me, aren't they..._

He called Tsubaki fist.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN! YOU HAD US WORRIED SICK!" He barely heard the first beep before she answered.

"H-hey, sorry I was-" _I guess I'll have to be honest..._ "I was visiting Kaori"

Tsubaki didn't expect that answer. When she and Watari visited Kao earlier today she said she didn't see Kousei either. _Was she lying?_ Tsubaki thought. _N-no, Kao wouldn't lie. Why would she? She likes Watari._

"J-just come home, okay?" she told him before closing the call.

Once he came home, Tsubaki was there. The two talked for a few minutes, apparently Hiroko had to leave for some business in Kyoto, she didn't have time to tell Kousei about it. Tsubaki wanted to know more about what he's been doing yesterday but Kousei said he wanted to sleep. He tried for an hour, but sleep wouldn't come. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Kaori's radiant smile.

 _This feels like a dream... When I saw you on the stage with me I was sure you were gone. I ran all the way to the hospital, begging everything and everyone for you to be alive..._

 _I almost can't believe this is real..._

* * *

The following day, Kousei woke up and was out of the house in less than 5 minutes. By the time Tsubaki came by his house to wake him up he was gone.

The hospital just opened for visitors when he came in. He went straight to Kaori's room, knocked on the door a few times but she wouldn't answer. So he just opened the door to find the room empty.

 _Where is she?_

Before he could move another nurse came in. "Are you looking for Miyazono-chan?" She asked him.

"Y-yeah" he replied.

"She should be back in a few minutes" She told him and she left.

Kousei was relieved to hear that she's okay. He decided to wait ouside her room on a chair. A few minutes passed and he heard a familiar voice. "Kousei-kun!" the voice said with a surprised tone. It was Kaori's mother, Miyazono Ryouko.

"Are you here to see Kaori?" She asked him.

"Yeah, one of the nurses told me she'll be back in a few minutes" he replied.

"Miura-san wanted to run some more tests. He said Kaori will be able to walk in about two weeks!"

 _She's never gonna give up, is she..._

 _The girl I met back in april... became the most important thing in my life. Say, Kaori... Do you still want to go on a journey?_

* * *

 **Here's to one more chapter done! Thanks for reading!**

 **By the way. Thank you Dilpickles00 for your review!**


	9. Chapter 9: The First Steps

**Chapter 9: The First Steps**

 _The day before everything was decided for us... I asked her to play with me again. It was cruel of me, now that I think about it. Asking her to dream again... In the end, she proved herself stronger than me. She pushed through..._

"It'll take two weeks, more or less, but... my little girl will be able to walk again" Ms. Miyazono told Kousei with tears in her eyes

 _Since then I started visiting Kaori every day. A week has passed, but to us it felt like an eternity. The stories we tell each other keep making us laugh, the time we spend together has a magical feel to it. Watching her work so hard to regain her movement... I realized that she's also chasing her dream. I started practicing the piano more, after all I did promis her we'll play together again._

 _She told me yesterday she has a surprise for me. And here I am, standing outside her room as usual. I knocked on the door and she told me I can come in._

"Surprise!" She said, more cheerful than usual.

 _It took me a few seconds to realize what was in front of me. Every day I saw her the last week she was lying down in her bed. She couldn't even sit up without someone helping her. And now here she was in front of me... standing on her own._

"K-Kaori! Be careful!" Kousei was worried she might fall. He got closer before she raised her hands to stop him.

"Don't worry, I'm not yet able to walk normally but I can at least stand" She told him with the same warm smile she always had for him.

"D-don't scare me like that" Kousei said as he started smiling. "I brought you some canelés" he was holding up a paper bag.

Kaori instinctively tried to reach for the bag. Her knees started to give up and she was about to fall down, but Kousei managed to catch her.

"Told ya" he said.

"Umm... can you help me sit down?" she asked him.

Kousei helped her gently back on the edge of her bed. He noticed that besides her being able to stand, something else changed. After the operation she was just skin and bones, now she looked almost exactly like the day they first met.

Kaori was giving him a funny look. Then she pointed at his bag.

"Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" She said with a funny voice.

 _You really are getting stronger. And here I thought I couldn't admire you more than I already do..._

As she started eating one of the canelés he sat next to her.

"L-listen, d-do you..." he started as he remembered what Watari told him yesterday.

* * *

"Ask her out" Watari told him.

"W-wait a second, I can't just ask her out!" Kousei was embarrassed.

"Why not? You already told her you like her, didn't you?"

"H-how do you know that?" Kousei asked him

"I visited her a few days ago, she told me about the lie." Watari replied

"And aren't you... mad at her?"

"Why would I be? I already told you she doesn't like me. I spent time with her because I didn't want her to be lonely. I couldn't break up with her, not in the condition she was in.

 _Ask her out, huh? Well, we can't go anywhere yet. But I could probably plan a date for after she gets out of the hospital._

* * *

 _J-just say the words. She likes you too, s-she'll be happy if you ask her out, r-right? W-what could go w-w-wrong?_

 _"_ Umm... Kousei? Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Y-y-yeah, w-why?"

Then she pointed at his feet, they were trembling like he was feeling an earthquake.

"Oh" he took a deep breath, took Kaori's hand into his, looked directly into her eyes, brought his face closer to hers and started. "Would you like to-"

"Kaori! I bought you more sweets. Your mom bake-!" Mr. Miyazono entered at the worst possible moment. In less than a second, both Kousei and Kaori let go of the other's hand and looked embarrassed in the opposite direction. Both of them red-faced.

Kaori decided to break the silence, still blushing.

"T-thanks, daddy!" She said "K-Kousei brought me some canelés, too!" She said holding the bag up.

"Canelés, huh?" Yoshiyuki's eyes flashed from the bag to Kousei, who looked like he was trying to avoid a bear in the wild.

"Hahaha" Mr. Miyazono started laughing. "Of course he did. Kousei is a good boy!" He said while looking at Kaori.

"Isn't that right, Kousei?" He said while looking back to Kousei, his expression changing to that of a bear once again.

 _Choose your words carefully, choose your worlds carefully, choose your words charefully... Help me, Kaori!_

She seemed just as terrified as he was.

Before he could decide what to say Ms. Miyazono also entered the room.

"Oh, my! If it isn't Kousei! Did you come to visit Kao, too?" she asked him.

"Y-yes..." _Say something you idiot! One word ain't gonna cut it!_

"I... I was coming home from school, yeah! So I... uh... I decided to come pay her a visit, t-tell her what's been going on 'round here, yeah." He was waving his right hand around while talking and he accidentaly touched Kaori's shoulder. Only then did he realize...

 _Crap! We're sitting too close to each other! Our arms are almost touching!_

"Isn't that great, dear? Our little girl has such a good friend! Coming all the way here just to keep her company" Ms. Miyazono said to Mr. Miyazono.

"Y-yeah! Kousei was just telling me about this really hard math test they had yesterday!" Kaori added, still blushing.

 _Thank you, Ryouko-san. Thank you, Kaori, I owe you more canelés..._

"A-anyway, I was just leaving." Kousei said. He noticed Kaori looked a little disappointed.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Dear, we have a cake in the car for Doctor Miura. Come help me get it." Ms. Miyazono said while looking at her husband.

"O-okay" He replied. A little reluctant to leave.

As they were going out Ms. Miyazono gave Kaori a wink.

Kousei was at a loss for words...

As soon as the door closed she took his hand again. "We have about 5 minutes before they come back, what did you want to tell me?"

"I... uh... Do you wanna go out with me?" He said quickly.

Now it was Kaori who was at a loss for words.

"Umm... Kousei, I... I can't really go anywhere..." She looked like she was apologizing.

"N-no, I don't mean right now. Once you get out, m-maybe we can go eat something together or watch a movie or..."

 _Is that really the best I can come up with?_

"In that case, I agree!" Her smile was back.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning."

"Alright, then! See ya!" he said.

"Bye!" She said in return.

A few days passed and suddenly it was weekend. On his way to the hospital Kousei got a call from Kaori.

"Hey, where are you right now?" she asked him.

"I'm coming to see you. I bought you a bag of canelés, if you're curious." he replied.

"Alright, I have another surprise for you, so get ready!" she said.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Kousei was once again outside her room. As usual he knocked on the door and she told him he can come in. This time he found her sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Stay right there and don't move" she told him.

"Why?"

"I want to show you something" With these words she slowly got up and made a step towards him. Then another, and another, and another. Slow movements, careful steps, slow and steady until she was standing right in front of him.

 _You really are stubborn... I love that about you._

Kousei looked at her for a few seconds and finally embraced her.

"See? I can walk now!" she looked so excited.

"Looks like you'll be out of here in a few days"

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Kousei wasn't expecting that, he blushed.

They finally sat down and stated talking about mundane things once again.

 _That kiss made me realize. We didn't really talk about... well, about us. After we told each other how we feel we just went back to our regular routine. Laughing at each other's stories, talking about music, arguing about stuff in a joking manner... But we're not acting like a couple..._

 _I guess it's to be expected, neither of us had a serious relationship before._

"Kaori" he started "Once you get out of here, let's have a lot of fun together!"

* * *

 **I think I'll pick up the pace after this chapter. I'm sorry if you think the story is moving too slow but I wanted each important moment to have its own chapter. Kousei returning, the confession, Kaori regaining her movement and so on.**

 **By the way, Chapter 10 will be one of the big moments of this story, so please look forward to it. Thanks for Reading.**


	10. Chapter 10: Love's Joy

**Chapter 10: Love's Joy**

 _Kaori is finally going home. She made a lot of progress these past few days. I saw her improve day by day. Eventually she was walking around her room without any difficulty. We went to the roof together one day, she asked me to play the melodica for her. I couldn't help but notice how much she's changed. She was once again full of life. I could see sparkles in her eyes every time I looked at her._

 _Now I'm waiting outside the hospital to see her before her parents take her home. I was expecting her father to help her, but the girl in front of me was walking on her own._

"Kousei!" She shouted happily when she saw him. Without any hesitation she started jogging towards him.

When Kousei saw her move so fast his heart skipped a beat. He was afraid she'll fall.

The girl stopped in front of him.

"I'm happy to see you" she said.

"I'm glad to see _you_. Are you sure you should move so fast?

"It's okay. I'm stronger than I look now!" She said proudly. "Wanna come with us?" She asked him.

"No need, I just wanted to see you" he replied "Besides I don't think Yoshiyuki-san would like having me over now" she whispered to her.

She gave a chuckle. "Dad's just having fun. He really likes you, actually." She told him.

"Eh?" He said surprised.

"Yeah! He always says stuff like "That Kousei is a good kid." she gave her best impression of Mr. Miyazono.

 _Does he?_

"Hey, Kousei. Would you like to join us for lunch?" Mr. Miyazono asked him once they got closer.

"I don't want to bother you" Kousei replied.

"There's no bother. We're celebrating! Come, today you two can eat for free."

Once they reached the bakery, Kaori's parents started their regular work while Kousei and Kaori sat together at a table, trying to decide what they'd like to eat.

"Hey, Kousei. I got it!" She told him.

"Let me guess, canelés?" he asked her.

"Yup!" she replied with her trademark smile.

The two of them started eating, although Kaori had a bigger appetite than Kousei. They spoke about the usual things. School, friends, music and so on.

 _I can't ask her now, not with her parents here..._

Eventually Kousei had to leave.

"Hey, Kaori. Remember, tomorrow we're going out." he told her before leaving.

"Yeah, I look forward to it!"

He couldn't fall asleep... He couldn't stop thinking that something's not right. That she's keeping something from him...

 _The beautiful blonde violinist that stole my breath the first time I saw her. Everything about her was beautiful, from the way she laughed, the way she smiled, the way her eyes were sparkling, everything. But she's missing something... she wouldn't tell me, and I wouldn't ask..._

 _I couldn't really push it, not with her in the hospital. I'll ask her tomorrow..._

* * *

 _Weather's getting warmer..._ Kousei noticed. The snow that a few weeks ago covered everything was now melting, and the grey clouds that kept the sun away were now gone. _I remember the day I met you, I remember the wind, the sun, everything. Spring will come again soon..._

He found himself in front of the Miyazono bakery and he could the Kaori's parents working inside. He stood outside for a few seconds, thinking wether he should wait for Kaori here or go inside. He decided going inside was the better option. After all, he's the one taking their daughter on a date.

"Morning, Yoshiyuki-san!" He said as he entered.

"Kousei! Kaori will be here in a moment. Do you want something to eat?"

"No, thank you."

He never noticed before, but the Miyazono family bakery was a truly peaceful place. He could see how Kaori grew up to be the person she is, it was all due to her family and how much they loved her...

A sound of steps was coming from the back of the bakery, before he knew it Kaori was standing in front of him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Kousei!" she said, same smile as always.

 _She's wearing the same outfit like the day we met... Even her hair is the same. I remember that day like it was yesterday._

"Alright, I'll be going now. Bye, dad! Tell mom I'll be back soon!" she told her father.

"Take care, you two." he told the two.

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked Kousei once they were outside.

"I, uh, was thinking we could go to the park. There's something I wanted to show you." he replied.

"Alright, let's go!" she was obviously excited to be outside after spending so much time in that hospital.

 _I pray you'll never have to go there again..._

* * *

As they arrived to the place of their first meeting Kousei looked at her.

"So, uh... do you want to, like, hold hands?"

She was taken by surprise.

"You don't have to ask" she replied as she took his hand. Kousei was expecting her to be more reluctant, he was blushing more than she was.

They walked by the fountain and were heading towards the playground.

"Do you remember the day we fist met?" he asked her.

"Huh?" The question took her aback. "Of course!" She replied.

"I was waiting for Tsubaki and Watari, they were meeting a friend here. That friend asked Tsubaki to introduce her to Watari, she said she liked him. While waiting I heard a sound, and after walking a little more I found the source of that sound."

They were getting closer to the playground.

"It was a beautiful girl playing a melodica on top of the dome"

Kaori was surprised by his compliment.

"A few kids joined her, they made such a pretty picture together. So I took a picture of them with my phone. Sadly my timing was horrible"

Kaori started laughing.

"So this girl started beating me." he continued. "I tried to explain it was an accident, but she wouldn't listen..."

"Finally my friends arrived. Then I realized that the girl who took my breath away was the same girl we were supposed to meet. Miyazono Kaori."

She didn't want to interrupt him, so she listened to his every word.

"When I realized she liked Watari I was a little disappointed." Those words made Kaori feel sorry. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse she said she played the violin. At the time I didn't want to hear anything about playing an instrument. To make matters even worse she was supposed to perform at the Towa Hall that day. So she asked us to come with her. I didn't want to go..."

They were still holding hands, but now their fingers were entwined together.

"But she took my hand..." he stopped walking "she looked me in the eyes" he brought his face closer to hers "she had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They were sparkling. And then she told me to come with her."

"A friend told me that when you're in love with somebody, everything looks colorful... And the moment I met her, my life changed. Everything I saw... everything I heard... everything I felt. All the scenery around me started to take on colour."

"I love you, Miyazono Kaori."

He brought his face even closer to hers. Their lips met. A first kiss is supposed to be special, and for Kousei and Kaori it was more than that. It was the highest declaration of love that someone could make. As their lips slowly parted he looked into her eyes again.

"Even when I'm down, you always put a smile on my face. The time we spend together breathes life into my world. I treasure the days, the moments we spent together. I want this to last forever, so I'll look into your eyes and tell you."

He took her hand and placed it on his chest, o she could feel his heart. And suddenly time was frozen in place. Nothing else mattered in that moment, nothing and no one except the two of them.

"Above all, it was your voice that I wanted to hear. No one else, it couldn't be anyone else, it had to be you. You're the one I want to be with... forever."

He placed another kiss on her lips.

The words he said to her had a magical feel. In that moment she could feel his passion, his joy and his sorrow. But above all, she knew his words were honest. Once he broke their kiss he smiled at her, but she felt something was different. His usual smile was a warm one, a smile that made her remember the day she first laid eyes on him almost 10 years ago. But this time it wasn't the same. This time his smile was shining brighter than the sun.

"I'll do my best to make you happy... Miyazono Kaori!"

"Arima Kousei..." she started. Despite his words, tears started flowing down her face.

"I don't want to leave you. I'll stay by your side forever. Whatever tomorrow might bring, whatever obstacle you'll face... I will always be with you!" Her trademark smile showed up once again.

"W-which is why..." she was struggling, and failing, to maintain her smile. "Which is why I have to tell you the truth!" Her voice was shivering. Kousei realized that she was terrified of what she was going to say. These were tears of sorrow, not joy.

"I don't know if I'll be able to play a violin again!" She told him, unable to look him in the eyes.

 _No..._ Kousei was remembering the last time they saw each other before her operation. _"Don't leave me alone!"_ He remembered her saying. That was the only time that the girl in front of him has shown fear in front of someone.

"I can't control my hands properly!" she continued while crying.

The scenery surrounding them was starting to change. The radiant colors from earlier were fading.

 _No..._

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise!" this time her crying was even louder than before.

 _No!_ He embraced her. The colors that were slowly fading started shining again. _This is why she was acting weird... Her happiness was a facade..._

"I'm sorry..." she kept saying.

 _What can I tell her? That everything will be alright? That she should've told me sooner? That I'll always love her no matter what? No... I promised I'll make her happy. Whatever it takes, I don't want her to be scared anymore. She's not alone anymore..._

"Crying doesn't suit you..." he told her. "I promised I'll make you happy, didn't I?"

 _The light can pierce through even the darkest depths of the ocean._

"And here I am, making you cry on our very first date. I'm a horrible boyfriend..."

A few minutes after he helped her calm down, she decide to tell him everything.

"Doctor Miura told me that, while the operation was a great success, my... my hands didn't recover the way they should have. I can still use them, but playing a violin requires perfect movement. He said they might heal in time, but..." She was visibly shaken just by thinking about the possibility of never being able to play again.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you..."

He embraced her again.

"Look at me" he said as he brought his face closer to hers once again.

"Whatever happens, I'm here for you. I don't want to see you cry, so I'll do everything I can to make you happy! If you can't play now then just wait, I'm sure you'll be back on the stage in no time. Maybe there's only a dark road ahead. But you still have to believe and keep going. Believe that the stars will light your path, even a little bit. And you won't be alone... I will always be with you".

She gave a chuckle "Using my own words to make me feel better..." The smile was back on her face. "I love you, Arima Kousei!"

"And I love you, Miyazono Kaori!" he said.

"Our journey has just begun!"

* * *

 **This is chapter 10. Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Also, thank you, gpianist for your review.**


	11. Chapter 11: Love Story

**Chapter 11: Love Story.**

"He said he'd be here today, right?" Watari asked Tsubaki. Kousei has been skipping school lately and his best friends were worried.

"Yeah, although he came earlier. He even had a note for me. "Sorry. I went to school earlier today. See ya there!" it said" Tsubaki replied.

The two just arrived at school when they noticed a bunch of kids in the first floor corridor. _What's so interesting?_ Tsubaki was wondering when she saw them whispering to each others.

"I never thought Arima of all people..." some of them were saying.

"They're talking about Kousei?" Watari was surprised. His friend was never in the center of attention at school before. He and Tsubaki pushed through the crowd and finally came upon the cause of this commotion.

"E-Eeehhh?!" They both exclaimed at the same time.

Kousei was walking down the corridor towards his class, but the thing that captured eveyone's attention was that he was walking next to a beautiful blonde girl. They were laughing at a story one of them told. To make matters worse, they were holding hands.

"Well I'll be damned. He actually did it..." Watari sounded like a proud father in that moment. Although it didn't last long, Tsubaki was heading towards them. Walking like a tornado ready to break something, or rather, someone. Watari moved fast and grabbed her before she got to close. "Don't make a scene!" He said while he was struggling to restrain her. Suddenly she stopped fighting back, instead of having to restrain her he had to keep her on her feet, she would've fallen down if he wasn't holding her.

"H-hey, are you... okay?" He asked her with a concerned voice. He then notice she was crying.

"Tsubaki..."

"Let me go! You moron!" She shouted at him before she stormed off while hiding her face.

 _So she really did like him... Geez, what a mess..._

* * *

Inside the classroom Kousei was telling Kaori about one time when he got hit by a rock on the side of the road. Surprisingly, his glasses saved him. The lense got cracked but it kept the rock from hitting his eye. The couple then noticed Watari coming towards Kousei's desk.

"Hey, Watari! Sorry I didn't wait for you two earlier. I needed so-" he was saying before Watari interrupted him.

"Tsubaki saw you" he told them.

"Tsubaki-chan? When? Why didn't she come talk to us?" Kaori asked him.

"Did you not realize how you two were doing on the way here?" He asked them.

"What?" Kousei asked him in return. They were both oblivious to the fact that they were holding hands in the corridor earlier.

"Oh, geez..." Watari slapped himself on the forehead. _These two, I swear..._

He started explaining what he saw since he came upon the small crowd in the corridor.

"E-eeh?" both Kousei and Kaori exclaimed at the same time.

"We were holding hands?" Kousei said.

"And so many people saw us?" Kaori added.

Once they realized what they were doing they were both looking into the ground, red-faced and embarrassed.

"Congrats, you're officially a couple now!" Watari said with a joking voice.

"W-wait, we're not-" Kousei started.

"-not going out or anything like that!" Kaori finished.

" _Sigh_ , whatever, we'll talk later. The teacher's coming."

He left Kousei and Kaori looking even more embarrassed than before.

* * *

School was over, and as they agreed the four friends were walking home together. The weather was changing, the past few days rain would come suddenly and now the forecasts were talking about an incoming storm. Watari was telling Kousei and Kaori about the past weekend. He had an encounter with Aiza Takeshi and the two of them ended up arguing over some random thing. The story had the three of them laughing. Although Tsubaki refused to join them.

"Kousei, did you decide where you'll celebrate your birthday?" Watari was wondering.

"It's still a month away. I didn't think about it yet..." he replied.

"Birthdays are special, Kousei!" Kaori reminded him. "I'm sure my parents would love to host a party for you!" She told him.

As soon as Tsubaki heard that she cleched her fist, struggling for control. No one noticed how this whole situation affected her. The thing that hurt her most wasn't even that she was losing Kousei. It was that they wouldn't tell her the truth, and she was too scared to ask them for an answer. She didn't have the courage to ask them if they've been dating, but she couldn't stand not knowing either.

Once they reached a crossroad she decided to take a different route home. Worried about her, Watari decided to go with her.

"Hey, you two! Let's watch a movie tomorrow!" He shouted from a distance.

"YEAH!" Kaori shouted even louder.

 _I never thought she liked movies that much._ Kousei thought.

"We have a few hours, let's go." She said as she turned to him. Before he knew it she grabbed his hand and started running.

Since their date, when Kaori confessed her inability to play the violin anymore, they decided to spend more time practicing. According to Doctor Miura, Kaori's hands could still recover, although there was no guarantee she'll be able to play as before. In spite of that Kousei wanted her to keep trying. The last two days they've been playing at Kousei's home and in the piano room at school. Today they had 3 hours before Kaori had to go home, they decided to make the most of them.

On the way home they stopped by a patisserie. Kousei reminded himself of the day Kaori had him play the piano while she was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Back when he still couldn't hear his own playing... He started wondering how different his life would be if this girl next to him didn't take it upon herself to bring him back. Then he got an idea.

"Kao-chan, can you order something for both of us?" He said playfully.

"Kao-chan?" She repeated suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just really looking forward to whatever you pick! Here, my treat!" He said as he handed her some money, a little too eager to get her looking the other way.

"Alright" Kaori gave up. _'I'm ready for whatever he he's planning'_ She thought. She turned and headed for the counter, excited for some caneles. Before she could order something she heard a familiar sound.

Kaori turned around and saw that Kousei seated himself in front of the patisserie's piano. He started playing slowly, but suddenly he was all into his performance. He playing the way she did, using his emotions to fuel his performance instead of following the script perfectly. The piece he was playing was "Liebesfreud", "Love's Joy". There were about 10 people inside the patisserie, and all of them were looking at him. Once he finished he received a small round of applause from these people, but he didn't pay attention to them, instead he turned towards Kaori.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

"Perfect" She replied, giving him a thumbs up.

The two of them then picked a table and stated eating the caneles that Kaori bought. Once again giggling at some story one of them said.

Once they decided to go home they realized that it started raining. In lack of a better option they chose to make a run for Kousei's house, which was closer. By the time they arrived the rain became a storm. They were both soaked. Kousei gave Kaori his jacket before they ran, hoping to protect her from the rain, alas the storm was too much.

"Looks like I'll have to stay here for the night." She said.

"Eh?" Kousei was taken aback by that.

"I'll call mom and dad first, tell them I'm okay." She was worried that her phone might've been too damaged from the water, but thankfully it was still working.

"You should get changed first, or you'll catch a cold" he told her. Looking for something she could wear he brought a shirt and a pair of shorts. "You can change in the bath."

"Thanks" She said as she took the clothes. "Don't peep, or I'll throw you outside" She added playfully.

 _'Sigh... How did I end up in this situation?_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I have more free time tomorrow and I think I'll be able to finish 2 more chapters.**


	12. Chapter 12: Love Story Part 2

**Alright, everyone! Here we go again. I'm really looking forward to writing the following chapters. Kaori is still dealing with being unable to play. Kousei is trying to help her. Tsubaki is hurt because of their relationship and Watari is being a bro. I also want to bring Takeshi and Emi (and maybe Nagi) into the spotlight soon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Love Story - Part 2**

The raging storm showed no sign of stopping, and left with nowhere else to go Kaori decided she should stay at Kousei's for the night. He was taken aback by her decision, or rather, by how decided she was. She almost didn't think of a second option, even after Kousei said he could ask his neighbour to take her home. Kaori wouldn't hear of it, ''It's dangerous to drive in this weather" she told him.

Right now she was talking to her parents over the phone, "Kaori! Are you okay? Where are you?" Yoshiyuki asked so loudly that even Kousei could hear him. He couldn't not notice how Kaori seemed more embarrassed than usual when talking to her father. She explained how she and Kousei got caught in the storm and ran for Kousei's house. She didn't tell him she wanted to stay over at Kousei's until Yoshiyuki said he'd come get her.

"There's no need!" She insisted. "You can't go outside in this storm! The people on TV say it's too dangerous!"

"Besides..." she made a short pause "Kousei said I can stay here for the night"

"H-hey! You're the one who said that, not me!" Kousei told her, quietly enough not to be heard by Yoshiyuki.

She gestured him to be quiet and continued talking to her father. After a few promises, some reassuring words and so on, she looked like she convinced Mr. Miyazono to let her stay over.

"Y-yes, I'll put him on..." She said as she handed Kousei the phone. "He wants to talk to you"

Kousei took it, although reluctantly, and started talking to Yoshiyuki. Kaori was giggling behind him, the look on Kousei's face was something she rarely saw. He looked like he just saw a wild bear in a forest, even his voice was shaking.

"Y-yes, sir!" he was saying "N-no, sir! ... Yes, I promise. ... No. ... Of course I wouldn't- ... Yes ... Yes ... How would I even... n-no I meant... of couse, sir." Kaori's giggles were getting louder the longer this conversation was going.

* * *

"... and you better remember that, otherwise you know what's going to happen, young man!" Yoshiyuki was saying over the phone. "Put Kaori back on, now. I want to talk to her. Oh, and Kousei?"

"Y-yeah?" Yoshiyuki was struggling not to laugh, the boy sounded terrified.

"Thanks for taking care of Kao, you're eating for free tomorrow. Good night." His voice was warmer now.

"G-good night, Mr. Miyazono" Kousei said before handing Kaori the phone.

"Did I scare him good?" Yoshiyuki asked his daughter, finally releasing the laughter he was holding back.

"A little too much, I'd say. Thanks for agreeing to let me stay, by the way. Although you didn't have to be so rough with him, he looked terrified." She replied giggling.

"I know, I'll make it up to him tomorrow. G'night, Kao. Your mom and I love you."

"I love you too. 'Night!" She said as she closed the phone.

As Mr. Miyazono put the phone down he looked as his wife. Her warm expression reminded him of Kaori.

"Kousei is a good boy, she says he even gave her his jacket" he laughed "Talk about being a gentleman, eh Ryouko?"

"I never thought they'd become friends. She always said she wanted him to play the piano for her..." she said in return. "I guess he made quite an impression to you. Kao spending the night somewhere else has always been your worst nightmare" she also started laughing.

Yoshiyuki has always been overprotective of his little girl. Ever since he and his wife learned that Kaori's life was in danger, that she most likely wouldn't even live to be 15 years old. But her decision to risk her life for a little more time, the decision she took because she wanted to see Arima Kousei again, it changed him. That boy helped her regain the will to live. And that will was very likely the reason why she was still here.

"I trust Arima Kousei" he told his wife. "He's unlike any boy I've seen before"

He remembered the day Kousei barged through the hospital door, shouting Kaori's name. He was scared, terrfied, he looked like his own life was in danger. He wouldn't leave until Kaori woke up, he truly cared for her. And she also cared for him, for he was the first person Kaori asked to see after she woke up. Part of Yoshiyuki was wondering if she would've even asked for them if they weren't already with her then. But he didn't care. He saw the way Kaori's eyes brightened when Kousei came to visit her, how her voice gained melody when she spoked about him, how her she smiled when his name was mentioned. He had no doubt about it, his little girl was in love. He only wanted her to be happy, and he knew that Arima Kousei would never hurt her.

* * *

The piano and violin that were echoing throughout Kousei's house of the past hour suddenly stopped. He was proud of his performance. The hours of practice that Kaori forced him through were showing their merit. But something else was concerning him at the moment. Kaori insisted that she play the violin with him, and play she did. Her rythm was off, she missed or hit the wrong notes... the sounds her violin were making couldn't be called music. But she didn't care, in fact, she looked happy.

"See?! I'm getting better!" She said proudly.

"At this rate I'll be able to play in a competition again in no time!"

Her smile always calmed him, but he could tell that she was just trying to convince herself that it was the truth.

"Anyway, it's pretty late." Kousei said.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked her.

She was stunned by his question.

"Oh, yeah. I never thought about it before but... you can cook, right? I guess it makes sense, since you live alone."

"Yeah, although my neighbours bring me something from time to time. The old couple a few houses down the road, Rin and Shirou Naozaki, they were good friends of mom's. They come by from time to time, they both love to cook and Shirou-san taught me some of his special recipes.

They left the room and started debating what they would like to eat. In the end they settled for a soup and Kousei's favorites, egg sandwitches. As Kousei was busy in the kitchen Kaori was watching the news. Apparently the storm was worse than they thought, some of Tokyo's wards were left without electricity. Suddenly someone started knocking on their front door.

"Kousei! Are you alright?!" It was Watari. Hearing him out there made Kaori hurry to open the door. They were in for another surprise. Once the door was open she saw that Tsubaki was there as well.

"Sorry, we got caught up in the storm. We only just arrived and were worried for Kousei. Geez, this sto- eh?" He stopped as he realized who he was talking to.

"Kaori-chan? How did you end up here?" he asked.

"Kousei and I got caught in the storm too." She said as they came in.

Once they were in the living room Kousei brought everyone a cup of hot chocolate. Tsubaki was obviously uncomfortable due to Kaori's presence. Watari was his usual self, joking and laughing at their situation. Kaori was telling them how she and Kousei ended up in the storm. And Kousei went back to finish preparing their food, making sure they had enough for Watari and Tsubaki too.

"Listen, where were you two stuck until now? It's been almost an hour!" Kaori asked them.

"Well, you see... after we split up we... uh, we went to eat something, yeah. Then we lost track of time and ended up in the rain. That's about it."

Kaori couldn't help but notice that Watari's story wasn't completely honest. But she decided that she shouldn't pry. After all, she had no right to force others to tell the truth when she and Kousei were hiding it from them. Thankfully Kousei finished their food and brought them a platter on the living room table. Four bowls of soup and a bunch of egg sandwitches.

"All right everyone, let's eat!" He said enthusiastically.

Watari was still the only one ignoring the uncomfortable aura surrounding the four of them. But it was just a facade, he was all too aware of the other three's feelings. And he was sure they didn't know about his...

* * *

After he and Tsubaki split up from Kousei and Kaori at the crossroad they were just walking in silence. Watari tried to get her to talk by telling some of his famous jokes, but Tsubaki was just ignoring him.

' _I guess she really does like Kousei... This whole situation is so damn stupid. Kaori lied about liking me, Kousei likes Kaori, Tsubaki likes Kousei and I...'_

He sighed.

"Hey, Tsubaki, enough already! You can't just stay like that forever. You wanna say something then say it!" He said, trying not to sound too rude.

That got a reaction out of her, she suddenly stopped walking and looked him in the eyes. He knew, behind those eyes there were tears ready to go. The twilight made for an appropriate scenery.

"Watari, you... like Kao, don't you?" she started.

"She likes you, right? That's what she told me, and you two are going our, right? You said you like her, you said she's cute, that I did a good job introducing you to her. She said she admired you, that you are cool, that she couldn't dream of any other guy. And yet..." Her tears finally showed up.

"And yet you two don't act like a couple at all. You both like each other, right? Then why..." she started crying.

"Then why is she always around Kousei! Why were they holding hands today! Kao likes you, right?! Kousei can't be with her if she likes you. He's supposed to be with me!" She could barely speak anymore.

Watari didn't know what to do. He never liked those love triangle stories, he thought they're stupid and unrealistic. Yet here he found himself, between his best friends who all had feelings for each others. He couldn't think of a more ridiculous situation to be in. It just didn't make sense. On the soccer field you had to score more points than the other team in order to win. That makes sense, that's logical. But this... He didn't know what this is...

"Sorry..." he said.

"... but I don't have an answer for your questions... If you wanna know then ask Kousei. This is between you and him, I'm not getting involved."

The twilight was an appropriate scenery for their situation. And the rain that started to fall was indeed an ill omen.

* * *

The four friends were still eating in silence. Watari would ask Kousei some questions or say some jokes from time to time, but they weren't able to start a conversation. Kaori looked lost, she sneaked some glances at Tsubaki, her best friend, every now and them, while Tsubaki just ate her food and looked down. Outside was still raining, thunders kept disturbing the silence.

In the end Watari decided to finally break the ice.

"Alright. I have an idea. Let's play Truth or Dare!" he said.

"What?" The others asked almost simultaneously. They weren't really paying attention to what he was saying before.

This was Watari's idea of getting them to talk. He's never been able to handle such drama, he believed that if you had something to say you should say it. Else you'll end up regreting it your entire life. It was better to tell the truth and move on, rather than dwelling on suspicions and what-ifs.

"I go first! Tsubaki, truth or dare?!" He asked, uncaring of whether anyone wanted to play or not.

"I don't want to play." She replied.

"No, no, that won't do. Think about it, if you play you'll get to ask Kousei for a truth or dare too! C'mon, you know you wanna!" He tried persuading her.

Watari's words were making Kousei and Kaori uncomfortable. They already felt bad for hiding their relationship. But they didn't know how to tell them, especially since both of them were aware of Tsubaki's feelings.

She thought about it for a minute. Finally she said "Truth"

"Alright! Did you go on a date with someone in the past 6 months?" he asked her.

The question took her aback.

"Yes." she replied.

The other three were surprised.

"Who was he?!" Watari asked her.

"You already asked me something and I replied. I don't have to answer two questions." She told him.

Watari gave up. There was no point of prying, he already knew. Saito told him of their dates. He knew why he broke up with her. It's how he found out that she had feelings for someone else. Although he didn't expect that someone to be Kousei.

"A-anyway, it's my turn." She said looking at Kousei.

It was silent again. They all knew what her question will be, yet no one was looking forward to it.

"Kousei. Are you and..." she said before stopping. Kousei didn't know what he was going to say. He wanted to tell her the truth, but the truth would forever destroy the friendship between them. He didn't want to lose her.

"D-did you play the piano today?" she finally asked. The three were surprised, they all knew what Tsubaki wanted to ask. But no one expected her to back out. This was her chance to have Kousei tell her the truth and she refused to take it.

"Y-yeah..." he replied after a few seconds. He felt... he didn't know how he felt. Disappointed? Angry? Guilty? He felt all of these and more.

"My turn then" he said. But he didn't turn to Kaori, despite being supposed to ask her. Instead he kept looking at Tsubaki, directly into her eyes.

"I dare you to ask me what you really want to know." he said. Now it was her turn to be surprised. Kousei was tired of this. He wanted this to be out of the way, even if it meant hurting Tsubaki, because hiding the truth from her would be an even more disgusting thing to do.

Next to him, Kaori looked relieved. She also didn't want to hide anymore. Tsubaki was her best friend and she deserved to know, no matter how much it would hurt her.

"Are you and Kao together?" She asked. It almost wasn't a question.

"Yes." Kousei replied, still looking into her eyes.

"Yes, me and Kaori are together. We've been together ever since she woke up from her surgery." He kept going. The other three were looking at him, almost like he was admiting to a crime.

"I liked Kaori ever since I first time I saw her. Once you introduced her and you told me she had a crush on Watari, I decided to keep myself out of the way. It hurt, it really did. Having feelings for someone who doesn't return them is truly painful. But the more I got to know her, the more I fell in love with her." He took Kaori's hand into his. The three were all stunned by his declaration.

"She did so much for me that I didn't want to believe I was just Friend A for her. I told Watari about my feelings. He already knew."

Watari sighed.

"And it was at that time that I almost lost Kaori. I wasn't there for her operation, I was a coward. I could've visited her more, but I didn't because I was afraid of admiting my feeling for her. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, so much I wanted to ask her. But I was a coward. Even when she finally opened herself to me I still couldn't tell her the truth. She could've died and I wouldn't have been there for her."

"That's why I ran from the stage. That performance made me realize what I truly care about..." He tightened his grip on Kaori's hand. Both girls had tears in their eyes.

"You said it yourself, Tsubaki. When you're in love with somebody, everything looks colorful. The moment I met her... My whole life changed. Everything I saw, heard or felt. Everything around me started to fill with glorious color". Kaori was the first to shed tears. But they weren't tears of sorrow this time, this time they were tears of happiness. No matter how many times she heard Kousei's confession, it would always make her more happy than words can describe.

"Yes. I love her, Tsubaki. Kaori is the one I love more than anything in this world..."

She heard enough. She got her answer. She didn't want to be here anymore. The instant that Kousei finished talking she got up and ran for the door.

The other three imediately went after her, but by the time they reached the door she was already going inside her own house, she and Kousei were neighbours after all.

"Listen..." Watari started "I'll, uh, I'll go talk to her. I don't think she'd leave me in the rain. So... uh... See ya tomorrow, okay?"

"We'll come with you." Kousei and Kaori told him.

"No, she needs some time to think about all this. She won't want to see you now. I'll talk to her. Besides, he mom's prpbably wondering why she's crying. I guess I should go explain before she thinks you hurt her somehow..."

"Watari... my words _did_ hurt her..." Kousei said.

"No, she needed to hear the truth from you. It would've hurt her more if you said nothing. In fact, I think she appreciates that you forced her to ask you." He started walking out of the house.

"And Kousei!" he shouted from outside. "Thank you... and I'm sorry!"

"It's okay! Take care of her for us, please!" he shouted in return.

As he closed the door the storm got quiet once agai. This whole day was a disaster. But he was glad Watari forced them to talk, in the end his intentions were good. But they had yet to see if Tsubaki will be okay with this.

Before he could say anything Kaori hugged him from behind, pressing her face on his back as she wept.

"I'm sorry... I made you cry again..."

"I can't help it..." she told him. They stood like that until Kaori stopped crying. Then Kousei turned around and embraced her.

 _I'm sorry, Tsubaki... I'm sorry..._

* * *

 **Here's Chapter 12. Thanks for reading and I hope I'll have another one for you tomorrow. I really need to sleep now. Good Night!**


	13. Chapter 13: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

**Chapter 13: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star**

The storm was still going and two were left alone after Watari and Tsubaki were gone. But even with Watari's reassurance they couldn't stop feeling guilty. Their lie hurt someone dear to both of them, and that wasn't something that can be excused easily.

And yet there was nothing more they could do. Kousei told the whole truth, he told both Tsubaki and Watari how much he loves Kaori. Watari already knew, it was fairly obvious. Tsubaki on the other hand kept hoping it's not true until she was told otherwise.

Kousei looked at the time, it was 9 PM already. He didn't want to go to sleep yet. Kaori was there and they could still spend some time having fun before going to sleep. They already played together, he didn't want to force her now, not in her current condition. But before he could think of anything she made the choice on her own.

"Let's go play another piece." She said.

"You sure? I don't really feel like playing after this..." He told her. The whole situation hurt them all. But Kousei felt like it was all his fault for not telling Tsubaki sooner.

"That's even more reason to play. You need to let it all out, and what better way to do that than through music?" She told him.

She was right, Kousei realized. That's what music is all about, emotions. He gave his most powerful performances when he was letting his feelings play.

"You're right. Let's go."

* * *

Tsubaki was sitting on the floor in her living room, hugging her knees and hiding her face. Kousei gave her and Watari spare clothes after they arrived, but now she was soaked again. The boy decided he couldn't stand looking at her, not like this. So he placed himself next to her.

"You already knew, didn't you?" he asked her. He didn't wait for an answer, because he knew she wouldn't give one. Instead he kept going.

"You know, the day you introduced Kaori to me I actually thought she was cute. After all, who wouldn't? I was glad such a girl liked me... But the more time I spent with her, the more I realized she didn't actually have feelings for me."

Tsubaki still wouldn't move.

"I didn't know why she would lie. But when we found out about her condition I realized the truth... she didn't want to leave a mess behind her. Of course, at the time I didn't know about your feelings for Kousei. I guess she did, and she wouldn't allow herself to stand between the two of you. If you ask me, there's no right or wrong here. You have the right to be mad at them. But at the same time, I believe they deserve to be happy. After all, you can't choose who you love, and believe me... I know that feeling..."

Tsubaki finally raised he head.

"It's not that simple... y-you know..." She said in between sobs.

"I want to be happy for them, I really do. I could never be mad at Kao, an yet... And yet I can't stop crying..."

Watari couldn't think of anything to say. Instead he placed his arm around her.

"You could start by changing your clothes. Getting a cold now wouldn't help. And I promise you that tomorrow we'll all talk things through." He told her.

She hesitated for a few seconds, but finally stood up and walked towards her room. Meanwhile Watari realized that he himself needed a change of clothes too.

"C-can I have a shirt, too?"

* * *

The music just stopped. Unlike his earlier performance, this one was more sorrowful. The first time he thought about Kaori, and how grateful he was for the second chance they've been given. But this time he thought about Tsubaki, and how he hurt her.

Kaori didn't play the violin this time. She just sat next to him and watched his hands gently touch the keyboard.

"That was really good, Kousei" She said, although not as happily as she usually was.

"Takeshi was right... Your music can truly make people feel what you do."

"T-Takeshi? Do you two know each other?" Kousei was taken aback. As far as he knew, Kaori never met Aiza Takeshi and Igawa Emi before.

"He visited me at the hospital once. I didn't really know why, and I doubt he did either. We just talked about you." she replied.

"Me?"

"Yeah, he told me of the first time you two met. He told me how much your music inspired him. You could say that me, Aiza and Igawa were all created by you." She told him. "He also mentioned that you loved egg sandwiches even then." She started giggling at the mental image of a 5 year old Kousei eating just as enthusiastically as he did nowadays.

It was almost 11 PM. It was past time they sleeped, tomorrow was a school day after all.

Kousei stood up and went to his bedroom. Once Kaori arrived behind him she saw that he prepared the bed and set a futon mattress on the floor.

"You can have the bed" He said. "I'll sleep down here."

"Wait a second, you can't sleep on the floor!" She argued. "If you didn't get sick because of the rain then you definitely will from sleeping on the floor."

Kousei was taken aback by her insistence.

"We're sharing the bed. Come on." She said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"K-Kaori... I don't really have to tell you why that's a bad idea, do I?" He said.

"I can sleep in the living room if you don't want me on the flo-"

"No. I made up my mind. And besides, I..." She took a short pause.

"I want you to hold me..." She confessed.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes.

"Alright... I guess there's no harm in this." He replied.

As they laid down on the bed together time seemed to slow down. Kousei could swear that the clock by the bed stopped working entirely.

 _'I'm not gonna be able to sleep like this..."_ He thought.

They laid back to back, Kousei facing the door and Kaori facing the window. Apparently the storm stopped, it was too quiet inside the room, Kousei could even hear Kaori's breathing. He didn't know how much time has passed, but it felt like an eternity.

"K-Kousei?" She called quietly, hoping not to wake him up if he was actually sleeping.

"Yeah" He replied just as softly.

"Can you turn around?" She asked him.

As if this situation wasn't embarrassing enough already, Kousei thought he really wasn't going to close an eye the entire night. But he couldn't refuse her. After all, he promised he'll always be there for her, that he'll always make her happy.

As he turned he noticed that she was no longer facing the window, instead she was looking at him. Without saying a word she placed her head on his chest. As he laid on his back, embracing Kaori with one arm he felt that he could finally sleep. He thought that holding each other was indeed calming them down. The scene wasn't embarrassing anymore, he didn't feel awkward sharing the bed with Kaori. In fact, he felt that this is how it's supposed to be. He didn't care what hour it was, he placed a kiss on her forehead and finally let himself be taken. He dreamed of the day he and Kaori were singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on their way home.

* * *

The room was warm. Last night's storm left almost no chill behind it, even the clouds were gone. The sun was finally shining through Kousei's window once again.

As he opened his eyes the first thing he looked for was Kaori. But he realized she wasn't there anymore. Looking around the room he found the clothes he gave her last night. A few seconds later the door opened, and Kaori stood in the door frame, dressed in her school uniform.

"Morning, sleepy-head!" She said in her usual cheerful self.

"Hurry up, we'll be late!"

Kousei was still tired, he felt like he could pass out at any moment. Turns out they only managed fall asleep around 3 AM. But he couldn't go back to sleep when she was standing there like that.

"I'll be ready in a few seconds. What would you like for breakfast?" He asked her.

"Make some egg sandwiches, we'll eat them on the way." She replied, showing no signs of tiredness.

The day started really well. Even after waking up late they somehow managed to be on time for school.

* * *

"Come on, Kousei said they'll be in the music room!" Watari said as he was dragging Tsubaki behind him. He spoke to Kousei over the phone earlier and they decided to meet. Last night ended badly, so he and Watari thought that they should all talk again.

Finally he and Tsubaki found themselves in front of the music room. Watari opened the door and entered, with Tsubaki in tow. Inside Kousei was reading some music scripts while Kaori was sitting in front of the piano, looking at the keyboard as if wanting to play.

Kousei lifted his eyes from the scripts as he heard the door opening and looked towards it.

"Good Morning, Watari, Tsubaki" He and Kaori greeted them.

Watari kept his smile on, but Tsubaki was obviously uncomfortable. She couldn't explain the way she felt. Shouldn't she be happy that her friends were in love? Shouldn't she be happy for them? In a way she was, but at the same time she couldn't throw her own feelings away. She felt horrible because of it.

"Hi" She said, although quietly.

The four of them sat together on the floor. This time Watari was talking about Kousei's upcoming birthday. It was only one month away and he had nothing planned, so Watari appointed himself the organizer.

"Leave it all to me! You'll see, it'll be the best party you've ever been to!" He said.

In the end Tsubaki didn't say anything. She just stood up, told everyone they'll talk later, and headed for the exit. Kaori was quick to go after her. Kousei and Watari thought about going too, but they seemed to understand that the two girls needed talk in private.

* * *

She found her on the roof, where people usually came to have lunch. Tsubaki just sat down next to the door, hugging her knees and hiding her face. Kaori sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry... I'm a horrible friend." She started.

"I'm sorry I lied to you. It's just... I wanted to meet Kousei, and I knew how you felt about him. So I thought that there could never be anything between us, after all, I was sure I'll be gone in a year or so."

Tsubaki was still not moving. Just like when Watari tried to cheer her up.

"I didn't want to ruin the relationship between you two. So I said I liked Watari. That way I could be close to Kousei without causing you any problems, but... The more time I spent around him, the more I fell for him. When he showed me how much he cares for me through his music I... I asked him to forget about me. I never expected him to like me back."

"But... in the end, knowing that he liked me just as I liked him made me happy. I promised myself I'll tell him how I feel if I ever saw him again. I... I love him. And knowing that he also loves me brought me joy."

Tsubaki heard something, and as she looked at Kaori she realized that she was crying.

"I never expected someone to love me... After all, I was just a sick girl, I was sure I'll die before I even had another birthday party. But... Kousei asked me to dream again. He told me he loves me, that he'll always be there for me."

Kaori hid her face.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen. You have every right to hate me, after all, I was selfish, I manipulated you, I betrayed your trust! I don't deserve to be your friend..."

Tsubaki hugged her. And despite being taken by surprise, Kaori hugged her back.

"I could never hate you, Kao..." She told her.

"You made me realize... Even if I like Kousei, he'll never like me back... Ever since we were kids, he never saw me as a girl. Even if we got together he wouldn't love me. As much as it hurts to admit... I'm not the one for him."

She let go and stood in front of Kaori.

"So go back to that idiot and tell him I'm okay. And if he ever makes you cry I'll personally make him regret it!" Tsubaki told her with a smile.

That smile wasn't for Kaori or Kousei, it was for herself. She decided it was time to face the truth. Kousei always saw her as his best friend, but he never loved her like he loves Kaori. Time would come when Tsubaki found her own "special one", but Kousei wasn't him.

* * *

 **Okay, Tsubaki is finally ready to get over Kousei. I love her, mostly because she remembers me of someone I once knew. And I truly hope she finds happiness with someone. The first time I started watching the anime I saw some people say "Did it reach her?" on youtube when talking about the show. I thought that Tsubaki will die somehow and Kousei will play the piano for her in the finale. I don't know which ending woul've hurt more but I love the ending we got. I truly admire the way Kaori lived.**

 **After watching the show I didn't think Kousei would ever love someone the way he loved Kaori, but this reminded me of Titanic. Even if Rose will forever love Jack, she honoured his memory and sacrifice by living her life and being happy. I believe that Kousei will remember and love Kaori forever, but he won't fall into a depression or something like that, he loved her too much to dishonor her memory that way. In a way, he owes Kaori his life.**

 **Thanks for reading. And by the way, if you like my story, please check out Reonblade's "Again". It's really well written and it takes place years after the real ending.**

 **I might get the next chapter done sooner than you expect, so please look forward to it.**


	14. Chapter 14: The Teddy Bear

**Chapter 14: The Teddy Bear**

Once they all started understanding each other, time was moving faster. February went by in a flash. Kousei and Kaori kept going on their dates every week, sometimes walking through the park, sometimes playing together at Kousei's and sometimes just spending time together wherever their feet took them.

A single thought had Kousei worried. He managed to be accepted into the high school he wanted. Before the competition he thought he might have to leave overseas, but the competition he won in december (along with those years ago) impressed the people in Tokyo. He was glad he wouldn't have to leave his country, and also because he wouldn't have to leave Kaori.

Because of her illness, Kaori wasn't able to take part in many competitions last year. And she usually didn't win first place, although she got the Popular Vote most of the time. Kousei asked his mentor, Hiroko Seto, if there's anything Kaori could do to be accepted into the same high school as him. Hiroko had her doubts, but she told him about a competition at the end of april. Assuming that Kaori somehow won first place, it might earn her a place.

This is what Kousei was worried about. Kaori was still unable to play her violin. He wanted to believe that she improved but... he couldn't honestly tell. She was still unable to move her hands fast enough, and she was still unable to hold the violin steady.

But today he had work to do. Watari needed help redecorating and his parents were gone, so he asked Kousei for help. Kousei couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He owed Watari a lot for helping him and Tsubaki make up.

It was saturday around 2 PM. Kousei just arrived at Watari's and was knocking on the front door.

"Hey! Watari! It's Kousei, open up!" he was shouting.

He stood there for a minute before thinking that he should probably call Watari's cell phone. He took out his phone, selected "Contacts" but before he could call the door opened. Watari looked like he just ran a few miles.

"Geez, you're early! I thought I told you to be here at 2:15, didn't I?" he said.

"I thought you might appreciate it. After all, redecorating an entire house takes a lot of work, doesn't it?" He said smiling.

Watari sighed and frowned.

"Fine, fine. Come in. We can sta- Wow! What's that!?" Watari turned back outside, turning Kousei away from the door.

"Look, Look! It's amazing, isn't it?!"

"Watari... that's just a pigeon..." Kousei replied.

"Yeah, but it's, uh, it's a rare type of pigeon, yeah, that's right. Keep looking at it for a second, please." He said as he went back inside and returned in less than 5 seconds.

"Alright, you can come in now." He told Kousei, who couldn't help but notice how relieved Watari looked.

 _'Is he sick or something?'_ Kousei thought.

He didn't think too much about it, Watari liked to mess around from time to time. He came inside, took of his shoes and walked towards Watari's living room.

"Alright" Kousei started.

"So where do you want to start? I think the kitc-" He was interrupted by a sudden thunderous sound.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

He was honestly taken by surprise. Only now did he remember that Watari promised he'd throw him a birthday party. Of course, he didn't actually expect him to go through with it.

He was stunned. Looking around there were more people than he would've expected. Kaori, Tsubaki and Watari were no surprise. But Hiroko, Nagi, Koharu and Kaori's parents were also here. Along with Takeshi and Emi, even Kashiwagi, Tubaki's friend.

"H-hi" Was all he could manage to say.

"You almost caught us!" Watari said smiling. "I swear, when I heard you knocking I almost had a heart attack."

"Happy birthday, Kousei!" Kaori shouted as she rushed to hug him.

"You should learn to be on time. I almost dropped your cake." Hiroko told him.

"Y-you shouldn't have bothered." Kousei tried to say.

"Nonsense!" Nagi told him.

"We worked hard to make it." Emi added.

"So you better enjoy every last bite." Kaori finished.

In that moment, Arima Kousei was glad to have so many people in his life. Remembering last year, it was just him, Watari and Tsubaki. He insisted he didn't want a big party, so he just invited his two friends over. It was a precious memory of his, that day he was truly happy.

A few minutes later he found himself sitting next to Aiza Takeshi and Igawa Emi. His two rivals. Out of all the people here, they were the last ones Kousei expected to see.

"Hope you like the decorations, we made them ourselves." Takeshi said, referring to Emi and himself.

Kousei had a hard time imagining Takeshi working on the decorations...

The others were sitting a little away from them, so the pianists had the couch to themselves.

"Arima." Emi started. "Sorry I couldn't talk to you since december. I meant to, but... it was complicated. Anyway... are you... happy?" She asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" He asked her in return.

"N-nothing, just... Last time I saw you, you were a complete mess."

He remembered now. That day at the hospital, after he ran away from the competition. They all came to see him, Takeshi and Emi too. _'I shouldn't have made such a scene..."_

Back then, Takeshi sat next to him. He still remembered his words. _"Emi felt it, you know?_ he said. _"I noticed the melody felt more... sorrowful than it should be. But Emi knew why. She always understood us through music, she's way better than us when it comes to that."_ Now he understood what he meant. That day, aside from his friends, Igawa Emi was the only one who knew why Kousei ran away. Her expression in the hospital wasn't one of worry, she was genuinely saddened by Kousei's situation.

"Yeah, I'm happy now." He told her, using his best impression of Kaori's reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry that I made you worry. Running like that was... silly of me."

"I would've done the same thing if I were in your shoes..." She told him.

"You'll go to high school here in Tokyo, right? Takeshi and I ended up here, too. You'll be stuck with us for a while." She changed the subject.

He didn't know what to make of her. The three pianists were an odd bunch. Kousei thought of them as friends yet he barely knew them, and still, hearing both of them play the piano was enough for him to to acknowledge them.

"Kousei! Look, look!" Kaori was calling from across the room.

Mr. and Ms. Miyazono were bringing his birthday cake on a silver platter. It was mostly chocolate with strawberry and vanilla on top and the candle was shaped like a heart. They placed the cake on a table and everyone stood up.

"Alright, time to make a wish." Watari told him.

"And don't waste it on something useless." Tsubaki added.

"Yeah, yeah. You're 15 years old now. Wish for something manly!" Hiroko was saying.

Kousei stood in front of the cake with Kaori next to him, holding hands. He closed his eyes and wondered what he should wish for.

 _'I could wish for happiness? No, that won't do. I'm already more happy than I ever thought possible. I can't think of anything..._

He felt Kaori's hand tighten on his.

 _'That's right!'_ He thought as he recalled everything that they've been through since he read her letter.

He remembered every date they've been on. Their first walk through the park, the first movie they watched together, the first time they ate together at a restaurant. The times times they spent looking at the stars, the times they spent singing, the times they spent racing home after school.

He remembered the day Kaori told her parents that she and Kousei were together. To his surprise, Mr. and Ms. Miyazono were actually happy, they even insisted that he can call them "Yoshiyuki" and "Ryouko". Since that day he was always welcome, in fact, Kaori even told him that her parents actually looked forward to the next time he came by.

He remembered Valentine's Day. Kaori took it upon herself to prepare something for him, refusing her mother's help. The cookies that she gave Kousei were not as bad as he expected. He knew that she never cooked or baked anything before, despite her parents owning a bakery. Therefore, knowing that she spent so much time on them, he decided he'll return her kindness. The next day he stopped by the bakery before she woke up and asked Ryouko to help him prepare some canelé for Kaori. After a few failed attempts, he finally got a decent product, and all before Kaori woke up.

He knew what he wished for now.

 _"I wish..."_ He thought.

 _"I wish to be with Kaori forever."_

He blew the candle and everyone cheered.

"What did you wish for?" Asked Watari.

"It's a secret." Kousei replied, still holding Kaori's hand.

"Alright, guys. Take out the presents!" Takeshi told everyone.

Kousei forgot about this part. He always felt awkward receiving presents on his birthday.

"Y-you shouldn't have bothered." He told them.

"It's your birthday, Kousei. Presents are our way of showing how much we care about you." Yoshiyuki said.

"I'll go first!" Watari shouted as he handed Kousei a small box.

The gifts he received that day made him truly happy. Watari, Tsubaki and Kashiwagi bought him a wrist watch, saying it'll help him be on time from now on. Hiroko and Nagi brought him a bunch of music sheets, asking him to play for them sometimes. Koharu made a drawing for him, it was him and Kaori on a stage. Yoshiyuki and Ryouko had a framed photograph of them, Kousei and Kaori, it was the one they took after Kaori ate the canelé that Kousei made for her. Takeshi and Emi bought a pair of piano gloves, saying that a pianist needs to take care of his hands, but they also had a photo for him. A photograph that Emi's mother took years ago, and Kousei remembered the moment it was took. After a competition the pianists were standing on stage, bowing for the audiance while holding hands. Kousei was surprised to see that the two kids whose hands he was holding were Takeshi and Emi.

He loved the presents he received. He was glad that his friends didn't spend too much on them, he never liked expensive stuff. It was then that he realized that a girl was still waiting to give him her present. Kaori was holding a cute box in her hands, it was bigger than the others.

"I hope you'll like it!" She said with her trademark smile.

He opened the box slowly, as if it was a precious artifact. It was a teddy bear, not a simple teddy bear, but one identical to the one he gave Kaori the day he confessed his love for her.

"Now we both of us have one!" her smile was shining brighter than the sun.

He didn't care that everyone was watching, he didn't care if they knew about him and Kaori or not. Without any hesitation he hugged her tightly and whispered "I love you" into her ear.

The truth is that she could've given him anything and he would've loved it anyway. But the teddy bear was a symbol of how much they loved one another.

"I love you too!" She whispered back.

Their friends decided to leave them alone for a few minutes.

* * *

 **Hope you liked this chapter, guys. The next one is coming tomorrow. Have a nice day.**


	15. Chapter 15: The Journey Begins!

**Chapter 15: The Journey Begins!**

After a few minutes and a few kisses the two rejoined the party. Everyone already knew about their relationship, so Kousei wasn't really embarrassed. They were alone in the other room, after all. Although... Hiroko's smug expression was giving him chills.

The party turned out to be more fun than Kousei would've expected. Everyone was getting along, almost a little too well. Takeshi and Watari were talking about soccer (Takeshi used to play before he started learning the piano), while Kaori, Nagi, Tsubaki and Emi were sitting together, talking and eating cake. He could even see Kashiwagi playing with Koharu.

 _'So she's not always cold, huh...'_ Kousei thought.

Hiroko sat next to Kaori's parents, apparently they were having fun. Kousei decided he should talk to them, after all, he already talked to everyone but them.

"...yeah, it looks like it" He caught Hiroko saying as he got closer.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" He asked as he sat down next to Yoshiyuki and grabbed a glass of soda.

"Oh, nothing interesting..." Hiroko started. "I was just wondering when's the wedding."

Kousei was confused.

"Whose wedding?" He asked as he drank.

"Yours." They all replied. He almost choked.

"W-wait a second! I can't get married! I'm with Kao- oh..." He realized who they meant he'll marry. His reaction got a few laughts out of Yoshiyuki and Ryouko.

"W-well, in that case, there's plenty of time for that later." He said while looking away. Hiroko's expression looked like that of a teasing father. Kousei felt sorry for Koharu, once she'll grow up she won't see the end of it.

"Ooh?" Hiroko whistled. "So you _do_ intend to marry her! My, my! Little Kousei is planning ahead! I can't wait to see how many kids you'll have!" She kept teasing him.

 _'What does someone even say in this situation?'_ Kousei thought. He was glad that Yoshiyuki at least didn't join her.

"Of course! There's no one I trust to make Kaori happy more than Kousei!" Yoshiyuki added with a laugh.

 _'So much for that...'_

"Come on, dear. Look at him, he turned completely red." Ryouko was telling her husband.

"I'm serious! After eveything that's happened, I trust Kousei." He turned away from Ryouko to face Kousei. "You brought my daughter's smile back. And for that I'll be forever grateful." He smiled. "And so far you didn't make her cry, so I'll take that as a bonust!" He added with a chuckle.

 _'Well... I wouldn't say I didn't make her cry... And if I'm to be truthful, she's the one who brought my smile back. I just reminded her who she is.'_

"I... uh... Thank you..." Kousei told him.

In the other side of the room Takeshi and Watari joined the girls around the table. Kaori seemed to enjoy the cake a little too much. He decided to join them, talking to Hiroko would yield only more embarrassment.

"By the way, Kousei." She said as he stood up to leave them. "I'm glad you're happy. I'm sure Saki and Takahiko would be glad to see you now."

 _'Dad...'_

Arima Takahiko, Kousei's father, was an unbelievably busy man. He started working overseas since Kousei was still little. Since his wife's profession didn't earn much, he dedicated himself to his job so his family wouldn't want for nothing. Kousei understood, after all, he was only able to live a comfortable life because of his father. And it's not like Takahiko didn't check up on his son, Kousei got a call from him almost every day. He understood how hard his job must be. But at the same time... he wished he'd be here.

"Thanks, Hiroko." He said as he headed towards the other group.

* * *

The party didn't last long after that, they already spent half the day at Watari's It was now 8 PM and everyone was heading home, so Kousei decided he'll keep the Miyazono family company on their way home.

Kaori noticed how he put all the presents in his backpack, except the teddy bear she gifted him, which he was holding carefully in his hands.

"So, what did you think?" She asked enthusiastically. "Watari worked hard planning the party. Takeshi and Emi were a big help, too! I didn't expect them to show up."

"Wait, they weren't invited?" Kousei was confused. "But Takeshi and Watari said..."

"No, they were invited. It's just that I didn't expect them to voluntarily help with the decorations! Takeshi is not as indifferent as he wants to look..." She said remembering his visit at the hospital. She remembered his words...

 _"He was my hero, you know? I started playing the piano with only one objective in mind, only one goal. And that was to reach him, to become worthy of being his friend."_

"Emi said we'll go to the same high school." Kousei told her. And with these words, her fears arised again.

Miyazono Kaori didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified. Her hands were still not letting her play the violin, the thing she enjoyed most in her life. But she couldn't tell Kousei. These past few months she put up a strong face in order not to worry him, she knew she wasn't improving, and with the school year almost over she didn't believe she could go to the same high school as him. They would still both live in Tokyo, but she felt that by not keeping up with him... she was being left behind.

The sight of her family's bakery banished her thoughts. She didn't want to focus on the worst possible outcome, she had to follow her own example and keep chasing her dream! After all, she couldn't force Kousei to do it if she couldn't do it herself.

* * *

The following day, Kousei woke up as usual. He checked around the house to make sure everything was in order and then went outside. Tsubaki was probably still asleep, Kousei was waking up an hour earlier so he could stop by Kaori's before school, so Tsubaki had no reason to be awake this early.

It was a beautiful morning. Despite feeling a little cold, the sun rays provided just enough warmth. There was something about mornings that Kousei never knew before, since he always woke up just before school began (Or rather, Tsubaki would come wake him up). This time of day had something that Kousei couldn't quite describe, it was just let him feel more... alive.

It didn't take him long to get to the Miyazono Bakery on his bike. He entered through the front door and saw Yoshiyuki cleaning.

"Morning, Yoshiyuki-san!" Kaori's cheerfulness was rubbing off on him.

"Morning, Kousei. You came at the perfect time, Kaori is still sleeping so we have enough time to prepare breakfast."

Ever since Kousei prepared canele for Kaori, he sometimes prepared breakfast too. Yoshiyuki told him he shouldn't bother, but Kousei insisted. He enjoyed doing something for Kaori after everything she's done for him. And breakfast never took too long, he chose to make egg sandwiches for today. By the time he was done a half-asleep Kaori walked into the kitchen.

The two of them ate their sandwiches and headed for school. Kousei was determined, time was running out and Kaori's condition hasn't improved, but he'll be damned if he didn't keep trying to help her. The first thing once they arrived was heading for the music room. Once inside they started playing as usual.

 _'Today is March 29th.'_ Kousei thought.

 _'We have 30 days to bring the old Kaori back into the spotlight!"_

* * *

 **Everything is finally out of the way! I wanted the story to get to april but at the same time I didn't want to use time-skips. Which is why I had these short summaries of Valentine's Day and a few other moments last chapter. I didn't want to have an entire chapter dedicated to Valentine's Day, the story would get too similar to "Our Symphony" by PandaDawgBE.**

 **Also, sorry if the writing was kinda weak these last two chapters. Writing interactions between more than 4 characters is my greatest weakness.**

 **But anyway! Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16: A Simple Melody

**Chapter 16: A Simple Melody**

It didn't work. No matter how many times they played together or what pieces they chose, Kaori just couldn't get it right. They stopped and sat together in the quiet room. Both of them wanted to say something but were waiting for the other one to speak first.

 _'What if... No. I don't care what it takes, nor what I have to do. I promised I'll make her happy.'_ Kousei thought.

He stood up with a sigh. Kaori was suprised by his quick movement.

"Kaori, tomorrow I'll take you somewhere nice!" He told her, looking like he just solved a difficult problem.

She didn't really know what else to do but agree. After all... she needed a break.

"Sure. Let's go on a date!" She replied with a smile that even Kousei could see through.

* * *

It was past 1 PM and Kousei couldn't sleep. Just a few days ago he promised himself he'll help Kaori, and he knew he always will.

 _'But what if... if she really won't be able to play anymore?'_

He banished that thought imediately. A smile appearing on his face.

 _'Heh. Yeah, right. I know her, she'll never give up.'_

To be honest, he didn't really have any idea where he'll bring Kaori tomorrow. He asked her out because he couldn't stand the sight of her being sad.

 _'She wouldn't let me see, but... Tsubaki told me she heard Kaori crying in the bathroom today...'_

He suddenly heard a loud sound. Only now did he realize he had his headphones on. These past weeks he started using music to fall asleep, to the point where he didn't even notice the music in his ears. The track playing right now was one of his favorites.

 _"You were the one- You were always the one. You were the light in my life!"_ The female singer's soft voice was perfect. He didn't really know why he liked these songs so much.

He had a sudden thought.

He stood up from his bed in a flash and checked his phone for messages.

 _'Hiroko sent something, a few days ago. Where is it...'_ He thought as he scrolled through his inbox. He found it.

Before a minute could pass he was already out of his bedroom, heading towards his piano room. He opened the door, turned the lights on and sat down in front of his giant friend. With his headphones still on he went through his phone's music library.

He found what he was looking for.

It was now 2 PM, and Kousei had work to do.

* * *

It was saturday and Kousei kept his promise, he woke up early and imediately went to Kaori's. Before she knew it they were walking side by side on one of the busy streets of Tokyo.

There was a sorrowful silence between the two. Kousei refused to acknowledge it, he refused to admit that Kaori might never play the violin again, and she couldn't get any words out, as much as she wanted to speak.

They were now walking through the park where they first met.

 _'Huh? It's been a while since we ate here.'_ Kaori thought.

"We're nearly there." Kousei said.

She couldn't help but notice his smile. He was really excited for something, no, not only that. This wasn't just him being happy.

 _'He looks like the day he told me he loves me. No. Even happier than that. Kousei...'_

She couldn't help but smile too, seeing him this happy.

The two crossed the street away from the park and Kaori realized where he was taking her.

"Towa Hall?" She asked him.

* * *

She was sitting in the first row from the stage. It wasn't full but there were quite a few people, apparently today was a special day when they let anyone play. The first five players were pretty good, but still amateurs when compared to Kousei.

After a short pause, the announcer came on stage.

"Next is Arima Kousei."

Kaori was still in disbelief. Kousei refused to play for an audience since that day. Seeing him walk on the stage once again had a... nostalgic feel to it.

* * *

He sat down in front of the huge piano. It's been a while since the audience last saw Arima Kousei perform on stage. There were a few whispers in the hall.

Kousei looked at Kaori and then he turned to face the keyboard.

 _'Alright...'_

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 _'Set the flowers alight. Set the music alight. Make it more intense, more beautiful than before. I remember... I remember all that you've done for me. The love I received from you... We're all born alone, aren't we, Kaori? But we're also looking for someone special. It's because of you that I kept going when I would've rather given up.'_

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

 _'I'll set it all alight, and create the most beautiful flame you've ever seen.'_


	17. Chapter 17: You Are Not Alone

**Chapter 17: You Are Not Alone**

 _'Set the flowers alight. Set the music alight. Make it more intense, more beautiful than before. I remember... I remember all that you've done for me. The love I received from you... We're all born alone, aren't we, Kaori? But we're also looking for someone special. It's because of you that I kept going when I would've rather given up.'_

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

 _'I'll set it all alight, and create the most beautiful flame you've ever seen.'_

His fingers touched the piano keys. The slow and peaceful start of Kousei's performance had audience holding their breath. After all, some of them came only because they heard Arima Kousei is going to perform today. His reputation alone was enough to fill a few chairs at the Towa Hall.

 _'I'll cast all of my memories into this musical flame'_

The melody's tone started changing.

 _'I was scared. After all that we've been through, after I promised I'll make you happy. I just... what could I say to make you smile again? What could I do to give you back your hands? If there was a price to pay I would pay it. If there was something to do I would do it. If I could give my life for you I would give it. But this is beyond my power, isn't it, Kaori?'_

The girl was watching, unable to miss a single movement of Kousei's hands. He was somehow different from how she remembered him. All these days they've practiced together and yet she did not notice. This wasn't Arima Kousei she remembered. He wasn't afraid anymore, nor was he just "playing" the piano. This is who he really was, this is the Kousei she saw all those years ago.

His hands started moving faster.

 _'Is it okay for me to be happy? Knowing that you might never play again?'_

She could feel his thoughts through his performance.

 _'I'm truly so happy to have met you. Yet, as if it follows naturally, it's all so sad. With all these painfully happy memories I feel like we're walking towards an inevitable farewell...'_

A sudden sound of the piano made her heart skip a beat.

 _'I can't stop thinking... am I the cause of your pain? Wouldn't it have been better if I was just a pebble in your way? Then there wouldn't have been any misunderstanding, nor confusion, and you wouldn't even have known me.'_

The melody gained a sorrowful sound.

 _'What I want for you is to hear all my thoughts and yet... I keep lying, I keep putting up this fake smile... I'm so much more of a coward than you think of me. So why...'_

He could feel tears forming in his eyes.

 _'As much as I pray, as much as I hope, I can't stop feeling like I'm a horrible person. I'm so much more of a worthless person than you seem to think of me. So why, why?'_

The girl felt tears in her eyes as well. The boy in front of her wasn't playing for the audience. This melody was meant for her and her only.

 _'I can't remember how many times I thought to myself "I want to disappear", I wanted to get away from everything'_

A faint smile appeared on the boy's face.

 _'I thought a flood of miracles wouldn't be enough for me. This pain was mine and mine alone to bear. It's like you said, I'm the worst. Indecisive, gullible, twit...'_

The girl only now noticed that the sound she was hearing was no longer a sorroful performance. She didn't recognize this piece, but she felt the pianist's joy.

 _'But then I met someone who told me to look up. And suddenly that everlasting sorrow, these open seams, everything was gone, everything started to blur and dissolve.'_

He raised his right hand from the piano, signaling the end of his performance.

 _'A flood of miracles wouldn't have been enough. Because...'_

He stood up and looked towards the only person that mattered. Kousei could see that she was crying.

 _'Because I had you.'_ He smiled

 _'And that was more than I could ever wish for. So know that whatever happens, you'll always have me'_.

* * *

She was sitting on a bench outside Towa Hall, waiting for Kousei. There were two more pianists after him and he had to remain backstage until all the participants have played, but Kaori didn't stay to watch them.

It's been almost an hour since Kousei's performance.

 _'You idiot. I ask you not to worry about me and there you go, crying on stage again...'_

She thought with a smile.

 _'I'm sorry...'_

She sat there for a while, watching a group of kids playing with a ball. She recognized one of the girls, it was the one who brought her flowers one day when she played the violin here.

"Kept you waiting, huh? Sorry." A voice said behind her.

Kousei came and sat down next to her. She could tell he was avoiding her eyes.

"I guess congratulations are in order" she said.

"Yeah. That Sakura girl was pretty close, though."

"Sakura?" She asked him.

"Oh, yeah. The girl who played after me. You didn't stay to watch?"

"No. I came here to... think."

 _'What could I say? I keep pretending that this condition doesn't bother me, that I'm sure I'll be back at full strength in no time. And yet...'_

She noticed that the kids she was watching were gone now.

 _'I'm sure you already know...'_

"Kousei?" She asked him.

"Yeah?"

"Can we go ho-"

"Arima!" Someone interrupted her.

The two of them looked for the voice's source and it wasn't hard to find. Kaori could recognize that hair in any crowd. It was Aiza Takeshi and Igawa Emi was close behind him.

"Hey, Takesh-" Was all Kousei could say before Takeshi interrupted him again.

"Why didn't you tell me you'll play today?! If we knew you'd be here we would've participated too!" He said.

"That's right. We're rivals, aren't we? You can't just ignore us!" Emi added, just as fired up as Takeshi.

Kousei and Kaori were still surprised to see them.

"I kinda decided at the last moment, sorry." Kousei replied, slightly embarrased.

The two start chuckling.

"It's alright, we're just kidding." Takeshi said.

"So, what are you two up to?" Emi added.

"We were just talking." Kaori replied.

"Actually, why are you two here? I never thought you'd come to _watch_ a competition and not participate yourselves." Kousei asked them.

"We just got here before your performance. Emi called me as soon as she found out that the 'great Arima Kousei is performing at Towa Hall'. Of course we came. You're lucky we didn't sign up, I would've won this time." Takeshi replied.

The three kept talking for a few minutes until Takeshi came up with an idea.

"Guys, why don't the four of us go inside now that the competition is over? The guys in charge said they'll let us play after the show. Besides, I really want to hear you and Kaori play together!"

Kousei and Kaori were taken aback by his suggestion. Kaori especially looked wounded by his words.

 _'Does he... not know?'_

She looked down to her hands. Before she could say anything Kousei got up.

"Listen, I... I don't think that's a good idea." He told them.

"Why not?" Takeshi asked him.

It's just that..." Kousei didn't know what to say.

They only now realized that not many people knew about Kaori's condition. Sure, they knew that she had some movement issues from time to time, but they didn't know that she couldn't play the violin properly. Kousei and her parents were the only ones who really knew how bad her condition was.

 _'They really don't know...'_

"Can we use our school's piano instead?" Kaori asked shyly.

She was at the centre of their attention.

"H-hey, are you sure?" Kousei asked her.

"I don't see why not." Takeshi replied Kaori's question.

"Then it's settled. Let's go!" She said enthusiastically to Kousei's surprise.

* * *

The four musicians arrived to the Music Room. Kousei didn't know how he felt about this entire situation. On the one hand he was glad to see Kaori so happy, but on the other hand he was really worried about her. Her sudden decision to play took him by surprise, and the fact that Takeshi and Emi didn't know that she can't actually play worried him even more.

Takeshi and Kaori were the first to enter and Kousei was right behind them, but before he could step inside he heard Emi's voice.

"Hey, Kousei, can you come here a second while Takeshi is getting the piano ready?" She asked him.

"S-sure. Hey. Kaori, Emi wants me to show her something. You two set up the piano, we'll be back in a second." He told the two.

"What is it?" He asked in return as he stopped by the school entrance where Igawa Emi was waiting for him.

They were out of the other two's hearing range now.

"Sorry if this is too sudden, but... Is there something wrong with Kaori?" She asked him.

The question took him by surprise. Igawa Emi was always able to tell when something is wrong. He remembered Takeshi's words back at the hospital when Kaori had her surgery.

 _"Emi felt it, you know? I noticed the melody felt more... sorrowful, than it should be. But Emi knew why. She always understood us through music, she's way better than us when it comes to that"_

Those were his words. Kousei knew that he was right, and the fact that Emi heard him play today just proves it. He tried to channel his feelings for Kaori through the piece, and he knew he succeeded, but he didn't expect Emi to be there as well. If there was anyone else that could understand his music the way Kaori did, then Igawa Emi was definitely that someone.

"The way you played today, the way you looked at her from the stage, the way you reacted when Takeshi asked you two to play. I'm not blind, Arima. Please, if there's something wrong with her then please tell me." She came across a little forceful.

 _'Can I tell her? Do I have that right?'_

"I remember how you looked that day, the day of her operation. Everyone knows how much she means to you. I don't..." She paused and looked away.

"I don't want to see you suffer like that anymore..." She blushed.

 _'What's with that reaction?'_

"Listen, as much as I want to tell you, it is not my decision." He answered her question.

He expected her to insist, force the answer out of him. After all, Igawa Emi was a person of conviction. To his surprised she didn't push the matters any further, in fact she didn't say anything after he answered her, instead she just looked into his eyes and walked back towards the Music Room. Not knowing what else he could do Kousei followed her.

Inside, Takeshi already set up the piano and Kaori took out her violin. The only thing missing now was Kousei, so without saying any words he looked at Kaori, expecting her to say something, instead she just gave him a reassuring nod. Going along with her Kousei sat down in front of the piano.

"So, uh... what piece do you want to play?" Kousei asked Kaori.

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" She gave him a sad smile. "Let's just... play something we already know."

"Then... how about Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso?"

"...Yeah. Sounds good."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sorry for the hiatus, guys, college got me really busy at the moment. I figured I could at least post this chapter for now. I also made some changes to my original outline for the story. As you know, I already have the whole thing planned but I changed some things here and there. I obviously can't tell you what because I'd be spoiling the story. But anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. The next one is coming soon so please look forward to it. Meanwhile, please review, I love hearing your thoughts about this and it also motivates me to write faster.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	18. Chapter 18: You Have Me

**Chapter 18: You Have Me**

The room was silent. Aiza Takeshi and Igawa Emi were waiting in anticipation for Kousei and Kaori to start playing, unaware that Kaori hasn't been able to play the violin properly since her surgery months ago. Kousei couldn't tell what she was thinking, trying to play in front of his two rivals despite knowing she's unable to. Looking at her, he could see that she wasn't looking forward to it either despite being the one to accept Takeshi's suggestion.

Emi looked worried, perhaps even more than Kousei. Since their conversation in the hallway she couldn't stop wondering what could it be that caused them such grief. Takeshi's expression on the other hand was blank, he showed neither Kousei and Emi's worry, nor Kaori's melancholy, nor his usual enthusiasm, but after all... he wasn't as dense as he wanted them to think.

"Shall we begin?" Kousei asked his partner.

"Yeah."

"Alright then. Follow my lead."

He started by testing a few of the piano keys, like he was trying to stall for time, eventually he giving up and touching the first few notes. Kaori was ready, in just 5 seconds she'll have to play...

 _'Why are we even doing this?'_ Kousei was asking himself.

Four.

 _'What even is the point? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell Takeshi and Emi the truth?'_

Three.

 _'Every time I see you holding that violin I want to believe you'll suddenly be able to play...'_

Two.

 _'This is bad, I can even hear her breathing.'_

One.

 _'Here we go...'_

With each piano key he touched Kousei could feel the room darken. The colors he saw while playing on stage were not visible anymore. He felt like the last three keys he touched were slowing down time itself.

...

The room was silent. For a second Kousei thought she decided not to play, but suddenly he heard a magical sound and the room regained its color. He turned around almost immediately. If his keys slowed down time then Kaori stopped it completely. The image in front of him was perfect.

 _'That was right!'_

Another sound came after it with perfect timing.

 _'How-'_

Kousei's happiness didn't last long. Kaori's fingers couldn't keep up and she hit the wrong note, as usual.

 _'Of course... it was too good to be true. Being able to play three notes means nothing. How could I forget? She managed this a few times before as well. I'm an idiot.'_

To his surprise however, she wasn't saddened by this. She turned to face the two members of their 'audience'.

"I'm sorry. I can't play the violin anymore." She told them.

Despite having her suspicions, Emi didn't think it was this bad. She immediately got up and hugged Kaori. The girls didn't know each other really well, but as a musician Emi couldn't even imagine how horrible it must feel to lose something that makes you feel alive.

"My hands aren't moving properly since I had the surgery." Kaori continued.

Kousei was still sitting with his back turned to them, staring at his hands. He heard Takeshi give a loud sigh.

"I knew, sorry." He confessed.

The attention fell on him now.

"What? How?" Kousei asked him.

"I mean, I didn't know exactly what was wrong but... Back then at the hospital I overheard your doctor say there's a chance for you to have movement problems or something like that. I didn't pay attention to it then. But a few weeks ago I realized that I haven't heard you play in a while and I remembered the doctor's words. 'I'm especially worried about her hands' he said. I should've figured it out."

"You could've asked." Kousei told him.

"We both know you wouldn't have told me. It wasn't your decision to make." He said in return.

"So... What are you guys going to do about this?" He asked them.

"There's nothing we _can_ do. This isn't like me being unable to hear the piano back then, the doctor said it might be permanent damage..."

Kousei looked down at his hands again.

"Stop that." Someone suddenly told him, he could feel the frustration in the girl's voice. And looking back, he could see tears forming in her eyes.

"You promised you'll never look down again, remember?"

The girl who once brought joy back into his life was standing in front of him.

 _'She's right. I can't support her if I look like this, she always put up that smile to help me, despite her own condition. I suppose it's my turn now.'_

Kousei tried his best to copy her trademark "It's gonna be okay!" smile. He could tell it wasn't very convincing, but it was all he could do.

"That's better. I'll need you in top condition to help me recover before the next competition, remember?"

"You want to participate?" Emi asked them.

"Yeah. Kaori won't be able to study music here in Tokyo if she doesn't do in the competition this month." Kousei answered her question.

"So that's why. Kousei, why don't you both go overseas then? With your grades you both could easily be accepted by a school in France, England or the US. Why struggle so hard?"

"Well..." Kousei started. "We didn't like the idea of being so far from home."

"There's also the fact that we don't really have a place to stay." Kaori added.

 _'I guess Hiroko could help with that...'_

Takeshi was thinking.

"So you're saying that's the only problem?" He asked.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"So if, hypothetically speaking, you had a place to stay, you'd be willing to go?" He continued his questions.

"I guess so." Kousei answered and Kaori nodded behind him.

"Alright!" Takeshi exclaimed as he got up from his seat. "In that case, you two and Emi can come with me! I was thinking about studying in England, so my uncle told me I could come live with him. He got quite the mansion and he's a carefree guy, I'm sure he'd like to have you guys too!"

"H-hold on a second." Kousei said. "We can't just make that decision on the spot."

"Oh, come on! Just think about it, all four of us studying music together!" Takeshi insisted "Besides, it looks like the best option for you guys."

 _'He's right. The chance for Kaori's hands to recover in time for the competition this month is too low. Taking Aiza's offer would give us the entire summer to work on this.'_ Kousei stole a glance at Kaori. _'But are you okay with thi-'_

"Sounds good!" She said before he could even finish his thoughts. "If you say it's okay then we're coming!"

"Eh?" Was all Kousei could say to her sudden decision.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Kousei asked her once they were alone. It was almost an hour since they left Takeshi and Emi, they were now in front of Kousei's house. "I mean, I like the idea but shouldn't we think things through first?" He asked her as he opened the door.

"There's not much to think about, really." She took her shoes and socks off as she entered the living room.

"It's kinda cold, you should keep your socks on" He told her.

"I feel better without them. By the way, can I stay over tonight? It's been a while since we spent some time together without worrying about the competition."

"Sure. But call Yoshiyuki-san this time. I value my life, you know. So if we're really going to England I suppose we should prepare ourselves. How's your english?"

"Pretty good. Although my pronunciation is... it leaves much to be desired so- Hold on a second. Kousei, how is _your_ english? I never heard you speaking it before."

"Eh? It's decent, I guess. Anyway, we have plenty of time to learn..."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I've been wondering, living with Aiza and Igawa might be fun. Don't you think?"

"You're actually looking forward to it?"

"Yeah."

Kaori turned on the TV. One of her favorite shows was on so she jumped on the couch.

"Want me to prepare a bath for you?" Kousei asked her.

"Yeah, please."

As soon as her show was over she got up and headed towards the bathroom. Kousei was sitting idly in an armchair playing a game on one of his portable consoles, oblivious to the passage of time. Before he knew it the bathroom door opened. Kaori peeked from behind it and called him.

"Kousei, umm... can I borrow some clothes?"

He didn't hear her, he had his headphones on. This caused her to be a little more... forceful.

"KOUSEI!" She shouted loud enough to cause the boy to fall from his armchair. If he didn't know better he would've thought someone shot a gun inside his house. Hopefully his neighbours didn't hear that.

"W-what?!"

"Can I borrow some clothes? I forgot to bring a change." Her tone went from 10 to 1 in as second, as if she didn't just shout so hard that some windows might've shattered.

"S-sure. Sorry."

He went to his room and picked one of his shirts and a pair of shorts and then handed them to her.

"Thank you. I'll change and join you in a minute."

Sitting back into his previous spot he decided to watch some TV. Unlike Kaori he didn't have a favorite show or channel, instead he just kept changing the channels until he saw something interesting. And right now he found a live piano performance. The piece that was playing was Liebesfreud, Love's Joy. This particular piece had a special place in his heart, along with Love's Sorrow. For him the two pieces represented the two persons he loved the most in his life. Love's Sorrow was his mother, it was the pain of losing her, the suffering it brought and more than anything, it was the warmth he felt when he remembered her. He decided long ago that he didn't want to remember her abusive self, her last years of life made her do some regrettable things, yet Kousei chose to remember her loving, caring self.

Love's Joy on the other hand was Kaori, the shining star of his life. It was the beautiful girl who stole his heart, it was the bright light that brought color back into his life, it was the joy he never thought he could feel. The cute blonde girl meant everything to him, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't do anything for her. Her presence alone made him feel whole, because she was the part of him that was missing.

"He missed a few keys." He heard her voice behind him.

She was right. Stuck in his thoughts, Kousei didn't notice that the pianist wasn't a professional. The competition he was watching was broadcast from London, and the pianist was obviously an amateur.

"If he can make it on TV then you could easily become famous in England."

"I guess." Just looking at her face made him blush as he remembered his thoughts.

"I'll go take a bath too and I'll prepare dinner afterwards."

"Okay, but please hurry, I'm starving." She said smiling.

 _'She really is too cute for her own good...'_

As he sat down, soaking in the hot water, his previous thoughts came back. He thought about the girl's hair, the way she laughed, and most importantly the way she lived. Kousei has never seen someone look so "alive" as Kaori. The fact that the girl thought that her life would end so soon no doubt determined her to enjoy every second she lived. He admired that more than anything, especially as he remembered how he was wasting his life before he met her.

"Hey, Kousei. Did you bring a change of clothes with you?" He heard her say from behind the door.

 _'Eh?'_ He realized that he forgot to bring new clothes. _'Ah, crap...'_

"I forgot, sorry. Can you bring me something from my room?"

"Sure thing. Just a second."

He could hear her footsteps as she headed to his room. And before he knew it the bathroom door opened.

"Hey! I'm still naked here!"

"Relax, the curtain is drawn."

"But you didn't know that as you came in! If _I_ would've came in like this while you were bathing you would've broken my nose!"

"Eh? That's not true. I promised not to hit you anymore, remember?"

"You woul- Anyway, just leave the clothes there and let me dress!"

"Alright, sorry for barging in like this."

Kousei didn't even have to see her face to know that she was smiling. She always smiled when she apologized for something like this. He couldn't afford to spend any more time in the bath, so he got up, dressed and headed straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey, guys! Here's a new chapter, as promised. I hope you enjoyed this one. I'll try to add more slice-of-life moments from now on.**

 **As always, please review and thank you for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19: Another Day With You

**Chapter 19: Another Day With You**

Food. Impressing a girl whose family owned a bakery was a hard task, but Arima Kousei always rose to the expectations. Although his regular cooking was nothing to brag about he managed to prepare a decent meal. His secret weapon, however, was just finished. After all the hard work he put into it (and after Ryouko-san taught him how to do it properly) it was no surprise that he got pretty good at baking. Although he was hoping to surprise her, he underestimated Kaori's sense of smell. In less than two seconds after he opened the oven the girl was behind him, her eyes sparkling as she looked. The plate that Kousei pulled out was full of canelés.

Obviously she finished them faster than Kousei could count. He liked watching her eat, it was good to know that his work was appreciated. He didn't really like canelés as much as she did so he only ate two.

' _Well… I doubt I like anything as much as she likes canelés…'_

Another hour passed as the two were watching a comedy show which apparently was one of Kaori's favorites, it got quite a few laughs out of them. Afterwards they found a random romantic movie which Kaori heard was pretty good, and with a little persuasion she convinced Kousei to watch it together with her. Halfway through the film he had to admit it was much better than he expected. As the two were watching the nice couple dance on screen he felt Kaori's head on his shoulder.

' _This is nice… isn't it?'_

He wrapped his arm around her in response.

Sitting like that was more than Arima Kousei could ever wish for.

It was time to sleep. Although tomorrow was sunday the two planned to wake up early and walk around town. As Kousei finished cleaning up the kitchen he could hear Kaori on the phone in the next room.

"Yes, I promise… Yes, he knows you'll kill him if he does anything wrong… sure… Well, Tsubaki lives next door, I'll call her if I need anything…" She was saying. The word 'kill' was enough for Kousei to know she was talking to her dad, telling him she wanted to stay over at Kousei's tonight.

"...you want to talk to him?"

She handed Kousei the phone with an apologetical smile.

"Be brave!"

' _Ah, crap…'_

Talking to your girlfriend's father was never an enjoyable experience. He lost count of how many times Yoshiyuki threatened to kill him if he touched his daughter. Some parents might be over-protective, but Kousei knew that Kaori's were justified. After all, they almost lost their daughter.

"H-hey, Yoshiyuki-san. How are you doing? Let me say right now that this was Kao's idea, not mine"

Kousei realized he called her Kao by accident.

' _Now he's definitely gonna kill me.'_

"Kousei! How are you, boy? Don't worry, I was just kidding. I know you'd never ask her to stay over. I just like to have fun with her. Just between the two of us, I think you're more responsible than she is."

"Eh?"

' _Why am I the one threatened then?'_

"A-anyway, I promise you she'll be okay."

"Good to hear. Well then, goodnight. Oh, and put Kao back on. I need to tell her something."

"S-sure. Goodnight Yoshiyuki-san."

He handed Kaori the phone. The girl seemed disappointed, perhaps she expected Kousek to be a little more… well, terrified.

' _I'm too tired for this…'_

It was morning.

Arima Kousei was sleeping peacefully as the sun shined on his face through the window. The warmth usually caused him to wake up, although today it took it a little longer.

As he opened his eyes he saw Kaori sleeping next to him. He tried to convince her that he can sleep on the couch in the living room, or perhaps on a futon by the bed, but she wouldn't have it. In the end he gave up and laid down next to her. Just like last time they slept together, it took him a few hours to fall asleep. Every tiny movement or even the faintest sound she made almost caused him to jump out of the bed. He couldn't remember how he fell asleep in the end.

Looking at her sleeping so peacefully cause him to smile. Her shirt moved up her belly while she slept and Kousei could see the scar from her surgery.

' _I never asked you about it before. I wonder if it'll heal'_

He decided to lie down next to her a little longer. As he moved he noticed that she was holding his hand.

' _Don't worry. I'll never leave you'_

* * *

' _That was too much…'_

Watari Ryouta was tired. Every morning he took a short jog around town to keep himself in shape. After all, he needed to be in top condition if he wanted to improve as a soccer player.

Today he decided to push himself a little harder and go all the way to where Kousei and Tsubaki lived. It wasn't that far from his place but he screwed up by deciding to do this _after_ he was done with his regular schedule. By the time he was done he collapsed in front of Tsubaki's door.

"Oi! Tsubaki, are you home?" He asked loudly. The door opened.

"Morning, Watari. You look like you just got run over by a car."

"That wouldn't be too far from the truth." he said, remembering that he actually almost _did_ get run over earlier.

"Is Kousei up yet?"

"No idea. I'm going to take a quick shower, why don't you go see him."

"Is that a reque-"

She closed the door.

' _Not much of a morning person, huh. And here I wished to spend the day with you.'_

Left with no other option he went to Kousei's and repeated the process. Stand in front of the door, knock, and then call his name until he comes to open it.

' _Now that I think about it, didn't Tsubaki use to train in the morning too? Why was she still sleepy at this hour?'_

The door opened slowly. Kousei was his usual self, if only perhaps a little sleepy.

"Good morning, Watari. You look like you just ran a marathon."

' _Not far from the truth.'_

"Good morning. Got any plans for today? I was thinking we could go see a mo-" He stopped talking as he saw the girl standing behind Kousei.

"Oh? It's Watari-kun! Good morning! Did you have soccer practice so early?"

' _She's way more cheerful than the three of us…'_

"U-uh, no. I just like jogging and- Kaori-chan, can you please exuse us a second?"

He didn't wait for an answer, instead he just pulled Kousei outside and closed the door. Put his hands on Kousei's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. The combination of tiredness, surprise and confusion created quite an expression on Kousei's face.

"Watari, is something wrong?"

"Kousei, I'll ask you three questions. Please answer truthfully."

"S-sure. Are you sure you don't want to… eat something?"

"No. This is a life or death situation! Anyway, first question: Did Kaori come by earlier?"

"No."

' _Oh crap'_

"Next question! Is that your shirt that she's wearing?"

"Y-yeah."

' _Good lord!'_

"Third question: Did she spend the night here?"

"Yeah. Where are you going with this?"

"Kousei… do you have something to confess?" His tone reminded Kousei of one of those priests that asked people to repent for their sins.

"What would I… oh… Oh, now I get it… Okay, now before any other word comes out of your mouth, please listen to me. We just slept, that's it."

"That's what a guilty person would say."

Kousei sighed.

"Anyway, do you want to come in? You can use my shower."

"Hmm, sure, thanks."

"I also prepared breakfast, there's more than enough for the three of us."

As Kaori wasn't in the living room at the moment, Watari headed straight to the bathroom.

"I'll lend you some clothes." Kousei said as he handed him a pair of jeans and a yellow t-shirt.

"Thanks, I owe you." Watari replied as he took them.

Once he was done with the shower he found Kaori and Kousei eating some sandwiches in the living room. Apparently both of them made a few, now Kaori was eating Kousei's sandwich with a smile on her face while Kousei was eating Kaori's with a… something that looked like a smile.

"It's good, yeah, totally!"

Watari felt for him, he remembered when he tasted something that Kaori made, it was quite the… experience. The girl's cooking wasn't bad by any means, she just used too much pepper or ketchup (or whatever else she could find in the fridge), apparently she liked her food to have a more "powerful" taste.

' _Her words, not mine…'_

Despite that, Watari liked watching the two of them talk. He knew Kousei ever since they were little, although not as long as Tsubaki, and he could tell that Kousei has never been as happy as he was since Kaori's surgery. He almost felt like he was intruding.

"Oh, Watari-kun! Come, I made a sandwich for you!" Kaori said as she saw him.

' _Oh no. There's no escape now...'_

"Thank you, but I'll have one of Kousei's. I believe he enjoys yours too much for me to steal one from him."

Kousei's eyebrow was twitching.

"Sure, thank you for appreciating my sandwiches, Watari. Here, take one!" Kousei said as he handed Watari a sandwich.

Watari took a bite.

"Oh, it's great, Kousei. You sure put a lot of-"

' _Hold on… something's not right here'_

"What's wrong, Watari? Is it a little too _spicy_? Kousei asked in a mischievous voice.

' _This… is one of Kaori's… oh, crap.'_

"No, no. It's deli - _cough -_ delicious!"

' _Alright, Kousei. You win this time.'_

 **A/N:**

 **Hey, guys! Sorry for the short chapter, I'll make it up to you next time. I decided to change something. Before this chapter I wanted to have a time-skip since nothing really important happens over the summer. Instead I decided to add more slice-of-life moments and keep the story going.**

 **I hope you like it, I certainly do want to spend more time with Kousei and Kaori, and I also decided to add more PoV characters. So far I only used Kousei, Kaori and Watari (And Takeshi for one short paragraph) but now I'll try to spice things up.**

 **As always, please review so I can see what you liked or disliked, and also thank you for reading.**

 **See ya next time, my dear readers.**


	20. Chapter 20: I Don't Deserve This

**Chapter 20: I Don't Deserve This…**

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" The blonde girl asked the short-haired girl.

"It's okay, I'm not in the mood today. You three go ahead and have fun." Was the last thing she said before closing the door. She sighed once she was alone.

 _'This sucks... I thought I was over it but apparently not...'_

Looking out a window she could see the three of them together outside Kousei's house. For a second she remembered the days when it was only the three of them, back when Kaori was just a classmate of her's and nothing more.

 _'Would I have been happier if I was in her place right now? If Kousei loved me and she was the jealous friend? That's really selfish, isn't it... And yet, I can't get rid of these feelings no matter what I try. Going out with someone else didn't work, nor did asking Kashiwagi for advice, why did I expect her to know anything about something like this anyway? Am I going to spend my whole life hoping that Kousei will one day love me? I'm a horrible person..._

Her thoughts were stopped by a sudden knock on the door.

"Tsubaki, open the door!" It was Kousei.

She touched the door handle and reluctantly pulled it open.

"I told you, I don't want to-"

"Denied! You're coming with us whether you want to or not!" Watari told her in an authoritative voice.

"But-"

"No "but", we can't just leave you alone today." Kaori said.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Kousei added.

 _'I'll just end up ruining their day if I go with them... I can't just "act" happy around them right now. And yet, they don't want to go without me. Do I deserve friends like them?'_ She sighed.

"Fine, I'm coming too."

"Alright!" Watari shouted. "The squad is back together!"

"In that case we should get going. We're already behind schedule." Kousei told them.

* * *

The train took them outside of Tokyo's urban area, the four of them sitting next to each other, watching the scenery. Tsubaki sat next to the window, holding her head in her hand and looking bored while Watari kept trying to show her some soccer pictures he took yesterday. Meanwhile Kaori and Kousei were playing a guessing game by looking at the clouds. It was peaceful for a few minutes, but they finally had to get off at the next station.

Watari was the one to come up with the idea, he said that spending some time at a nearby lake would be fun. "We can eat and have some fun there. I'll even bring my fishing rods so we can catch some fish!" He told them. Kousei took some convincing, but he finally agreed that a change of scenery would be good for them.

 _'Maybe it'll help her too...'_ He thought looking at Kaori.

As they arrived at their destination Kousei saw that two were people already there.

"Is that-"

"Hey there! What took you so long?" The blonde boy greeted them. They instantly recognized Takeshi, and the girl next to him was of course Emi.

"Watari, did you invite them too?" Kousei asked his friend.

"Yeah. The more the merrier, wouldn't you say?"

"I agree!" Kaori said behind them.

* * *

Once everything was ready the boys went to another lake to have a fishing competition. Watari had three fishing rods prepared and looked determined to catch every fish in the lake, surprisingly Takeshi was also enthusiastic about this. Kousei, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time he went fishing, or even if he ever caught anything. Meanwhile the girls were left alone to talk.

"How are you? Any improvements?" Emi asked Kaori.

"I don't know. I haven't tried playing since then. I doubt it'll come back so soon."

Tsubaki didn't know how to approach the subject. She knew about Kaori's condition, she and Kousei told her and Watari a few days ago. The two friends were shocked to hear it, but they were even more surprised by Kaori. The girl didn't seem bothered by the fact that she might never play alongside Kousei again.

 _'How can she smile like that?'_ Tsubaki wondered. _'The two of them made it clear how much music means to them. Even when she was certain her life was about to end she still wanted to play again at least once. I hated music because it took Kousei away from me, I knew that he wouldn't sacrifice it for anything in the world. When Kao was having her surgery he still gave his best performance, and anyone could tell that what he truly wanted was to be with her… So how can she smile like that knowing that she might never feel the joy of playing the violin again?'_

Tsubaki pondered that thought for a while.

"Well, I guess there's not much you can do about it, is there?" Emi continued.

"I'm glad I'm able to move them at least. I can't imagine what I would've done if I couldn't use my hands at all."

"You're right, no point in looking at the empty side of the glass.

Looking at her smiling was like trying to solve a puzzle. The girl was a mystery for Tsubaki.

* * *

It's been almost an hour and Kousei's bucket was still empty, while Takeshi and Watari were still arguing about quality versus quantity.

"Mine are bigger!"

"Well, I caught more!"

He wasn't surprised that the two of them were that competitive, after all, he knew that both of them disliked losing. They were very much alike. Kousei looked at his bucket once again and gave a soft sigh.

' _I was hoping I'd catch at least one…_ _Kaori likes sushi, I have to do my best to catch at least one or she'll make fun of me.'_ The thought of the cute blonde laughing at him was embarrassing, but at the same time it made him smile. _'I'll do anything if it means you won't shed tears of sorrow again…'_

He felt a slight twitch in his hands.

"Eh?"

While he was thinking about Kaori a fish must've taken the bait and was now struggling to break free.

"Alright!"

Fired up, Kousei started pulling the rod with all his might.

"Hey, looks like Kousei caught something." Takeshi noticed once he and Watari stopped butting heads over their contest.

"Oh!?" Watari turned to look. "Keep at it, Kousei!" The two of them were now more focused on Kousei's duel with the fish than their own rods (which were now moving too).

"You're not getting away!" Kousei was determined to catch at least a single fish. Right now, his pride depended on it. Not caring that the line or the rid itself might break, he kept pulling until he finally saw the fish jump out of the lake.

"That's-" Watari and Takeshi were taken by surprise by the size of Kousei's prey.

"Don't let that bastard get away!" They both shouted at the same time.

With one swift swing Kousei threw the fish towards him, not really thinking about how he will catch it. In the end it didn't really matter, as the fish just hit him in the face.

"Ryouta, what were you saying about 'quality' earlier? I suppose Kousei wins our contest…" Takeshi said as he measured the fish.

* * *

"Kao, can I… ask you something?" Tsubaki sat next to Kaori and Emi, who were previously talking about some famous pianist that Tsubaki didn't know.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Listen, I… are you really okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

' _There she goes again, smiling lake she has nothing in the world to worry about.'_

"Your hands, are you really not worried?"

Despite doing her best to hide it, Tsubaki could see a slight change in Kaori's expression.

"Not really, they'll recover and I'll play the violin again in no time. It's only a matter of time."

"Kaori, I'm also worried about you. I didn't really know you before… you know… but you can always talk to me if you need to." Emi joined their conversation.

"I appreciate your words, Emi." Kaori still kept her trademark smile on, but both girls could see through it.

"Tsubaki." Just as she was about to give up, she heard Kaori call her name.

"Do you remember what you said a while ago? About how music was taking Kousei away from you?" Her expression changed once again.

"Y-yeah." Remembering that was uncomfortable for her, mostly because she still had feelings for Kousei. And talking with Kaori about this was embarrassing.

"I love music, so much I can't describe you how I feel about it. Ever since I was little I loved listening to it, and my parents arranged for me to take piano lessons."

' _Piano?'_

"You started as a pianist?" Emi took Tsubaki's words out of her mouth.

"Yeah. I loved the sound of it more than any other instrument. I practiced for about a year. And then, one day I went to watch a competition. It was there that I heard the most beautiful symphony in the world. It was so powerful that the surroundings themselves gained color as I listened to it, so powerful that a girl next to me started crying so loud that the pianist himself heard her."

Emi flinched. "Was it Kousei's performance?" She asked.

"Y-yeah, how did you know?"

"Uhh… j-just a lucky guess." She replied waving the question away.

"Yeah it was Kousei. As soon as I got home I asked my parents to let me take violin lessons. I told them that 'I want Kousei to play the piano for me'…"

"So… that's why…" Tsubaki was surprised to hear her words.

"Ever since then I wanted to meet this boy who made my life so colorful. When I found out that we were going to the same school I tried to talk to him… but he was always surrounded by his friends. I… wasn't sure how to approach him."

She held her head on her knees, her previous smile gone.

"Then I found out that I… might not have much time left. So I stopped worrying about that normal stuff like that. So I… I lied to him and his friends…"

' _She's crying…'_

The two girls didn't know what to say. Kaori's sudden confession took them by surprise.

"I said I liked his best friend, while in reality I was just trying to find a way to spend time with him without causing you any pain… It was just a… selfish wish of mine. I was going to disappear soon anyway, so I didn't want to create any problems for you. I was just a passerby…"

"Kao… H-how can you speak about yourself like that?"

"Because it's the truth. I didn't expect to live this long, the only reason why I asked you to introduce me to Watari was to spend some time with Kousei before I died. I knew that you liked him and… I didn't want take him away from you…"

' _Kao…'_

"But then we fell in love… And not only did I survive the surgery that was only supposed to give me a few more months of life, I also got rid of my disease. I never expected this to happen. I could finally be with Kousei, I could finally laugh again, I could finally life without worrying that my time is running out. So tell me…"

She looked in Tsubaki's eyes while crying.

"Do I really have any right to be saddened by this!?"

She was almost shouting, traces of anger in her voice.

"Do I have any right to be happy after everything I've done!?"

"K-Kao, I… I told you, you didn't do anything wro-"

"How can you say that! I used you to get closer to Kousei, and not only that, I also fell in love with him. I was supposed to die, but I didn't, I ruined the bond you two had. So tell me, what right do I have to cry about myself here!?"

"K-Kao…"

"Kaori. I'm sorry… we're just worried about you." Emi said.

"But I don't deserve this… if anything… losing my ability to play the violin is my punishment."

"Kao… you're wrong." Tsubaki told her. "I can't listen to you talking like that. So what if you lied to us? What you did saved Kousei from himself. Did you forget how pitiful he was before he met you? You are the one who helped him play the piano again. I've never seen him as happy as he was on the stage that day with you. You're the one who brought joy back into his life, which is something I could never do.

"But I used you…"

"So what? Kousei never liked me that way anyway. I had a crush on him, so what? I'm sure other girls like too. It doesn't matter how I feel, it only matters how you two feel.

"S-she's right. Think about Kousei's feelings, he's so happy when he's with you." Emi added.

"Kao, I would never wish for you to disappear from Kousei's life. What you two have is special, and I would never wish either of you to live without it.

' _You idiot… How can you speak like that…'_

"You're saying that losing your music is your punishment? I disagree!"

Tsubaki did her best impression of Kaori's trademark smile, which made Kaori lift her head and look in astonishment at her friend.

"You are Miyazono Kaori! The best violinist in the world! Your music brings joy in people's hearts, it breathes color into this world! If you think your hands were taken from you as punishment then I say you're wrong! I don't care what it takes, I'll help you in any way I can, I'll always be there for you, I'll even punch fate in the face and bring your hands back if that's in my power to do. Because you, Miyazono Kaori, are my best friend and nothing will ever change that!

Her tears stopped. Tsubaki's smile reminded her of Kousei's.

"I… I'm sorry…" Was all she could say.

"Good! Now dry your tears, if that idiot sees that I made you cry I could never forgive myself. And remember, I could never hate you. You should've told me the truth sooner, I can't imagine how it must've felt holding it in for so long.

"I'm sorry…"

"Kaori."

The blonde girl looked at her friend.

"You deserve to be happy. Don't you ever doubt that."

"T-thank you… Tsubaki."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Here it is, guys. I'm sorry for the long wait. College is just a huge pain that eats all my free time. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a rough draft written for a few months now and I only now managed to write the whole thing.**

 **Since Christmas is coming soon I was thinking of doing a short special. Remember that Kaori's surgery was in December? I kinda skipped over Christmas since it didn't seem important at the time. Well, I'm thinking of writing a "flashback" chapter, so to say.**

 **As always, thank you for reading. Your reviews are motivating me to improve and get chapters done faster. I love you guys. Happy Holidays!**


	21. Chapter 21: Christmas Special!

**Chapter 21: Christmas Special!**

' _This is useless…'_ Kousei thought as he looked at all the fluffy toys in front of him. A few days ago he finally confessed his feelings to the girl he loved, and she returned them. Ever since the words left his mouth he felt like he was living a dream, a dream that he would never want to wake up from. The girl, sadly, was still stuck in the hospital, after all, she just survived a very dangerous surgery a few days ago. So Kousei made it his primary objective to find an appropriate present for her. After all, Christmas was a few days away.

' _There's just too many of them…'_

Although finding the perfect present proved to be a very difficult task. He knew the girl very well so he knew what she might like, and yet he couldn't decide what to buy. The shelves were full of different fluffy animals and Kousei was sure that any of them would do, but he didn't want to give her just _any_ present. He wanted to give her _the_ present.

' _I guess… a dog? She likes dogs, but… this one looks cute… but that one seems like a better choice…"_

He kept wandering around the shelves aimlessly.

* * *

"All right, my dear. I'm sure I'll find one somewhere." Mrs. Miyazono was sitting next to Kaori's bed.

"Thank you! I'm sure he'll love it!"

"In that case I better hurry, there's only two more days. I'll come by later with your dad."

The door closed and Kaori was left alone in her room once again. Unlike a few weeks before, this room didn't terrify her anymore, because this time she was looking forward to the day she'll leave it behind. But that day will have to wait, as she was still unable to walk. Not that she was worried or anything, after all, the rehabilitation was going well and she was making good progress. If anything she was worried about the present she picked for Kousei. She called her mother a few hours ago to ask for her opinion on what present would be appropriate for a "special someone". Mrs. Miyazono was obviously aware of whom her daughter had in mind, but she decided not to tease her. Kaori eventually chose something she thought Kousei might like, and Mrs. Miyazono was now on her way to the mall to find it.

After a few minutes of boredom she decided to call someone to kill time. So she started scrolling through her phone's agenda for her friends and classmate's numbers.

' _Satsuki, Tomoyo, Tsubaki… Tsubaki…'_

Her previous joyous mood was gone. As happy as she was with everything that happened to her lately, she couldn't help but feel guilty when she remembered her friend.

She almost pressed "Call", but stopped. Instead she put her phone down.

* * *

"Excuse me, can I help you?" A young woman asked.

"Eh?" Kousei was taken by surprise. For the past hour he's didn't pay attention to anyone around him. At this point he must've looked through the entire mall at least twice. He deduced that the young woman must be working here.

"N-no, thank you. I'm fine." He replied.

"You've been looking around here for almost an hour. Could it be that you can't decide what to buy?"

"Yeah, something like that." He said. Although he wished he could find a present on his own, he decided that it's probably a good idea to ask for help at this point, otherwise he might waste another hour wandering through the shop.

"Actually, yeah. I would like some help. I'm looking for a Christmas present for someone and I can't decide what she would like more." He told the young woman.

"Oh. "She", well that explains it." She said.

"Eh?"

"You're looking for a present for your girlfriend, aren't you?"

"H-hold on! I didn't say anything about a girlfriend!" Kousei was blushing.

"No boy would waste an hour looking at stuffed animals if a girl wasn't involved. Anyway, I'll help you find something for her."

"T-thank you."

"Tell me about her, what kind of things does she like?"

"Well… she likes playing the violin. She's really good at it, too. Although I play the piano."

"Violin, you say… hmm… I might have an idea. Come with me."

The woman took Kousei to a different store.

"How about this?" She asked Kousei as she held up a necklace.

It didn't look to special at first glance, but the silver violin in the middle was beautiful. Looking at it reminded Kousei of the first time he heard Kaori play.

"Eh…" Still indecisive Kousei kept looking at it.

"They're pretty popular with music lovers. There's one for each instrument, a lady bought the last piano one earlier. This one is the last violin one, so you better make your choice now."

 _Sigh 'I suppose it's this or nothing…'_

"I'll take it."

"Alright. I'll pack it up nicely. Remember, boy. It doesn't really matter what you give her, it matters that you're the one giving it." She finished packing the necklace.

"Here, I hope she likes it." She said.

"I'm sure she will."

* * *

"Here, Kao. It was the last one they had. I'm so glad I found it!" Mrs. Miyazono said as she handed her daughter a present box.

Kaori opened it carefully and looked at the necklace inside. It was a simple necklace with a beautiful silver piano.

"So? Do you think he'll like it?" Her mother asked.

"I hope so." She looked doubtful.

"My pretty little girl, let me tell you something. It doesn't matter what you get him, the fact that it's coming from you is what matters."

"…Thanks, mom. I sure hope he'll like it."

"Don't worry. Kousei isn't the kind of boy who wouldn't appreciate a gift like this."

"K-Kousei!? Mom, I didn't say this is for Kousei!" Kaori was blushing.

"Alright then, I'm sure Not-Kousei will like it. I'll come again tomorrow morning."

"Geez, mom…"

* * *

"So, what did you guys get her?" Kousei asked his friends as they were making their way through the hospital's hallway. "I'm not sure if she'll like what I brought…"

"It's a secret. Besides, Watari here is the one who should be worried." Tsubaki replied. "As her boyfriend his present must perfect."

' _Boyfriend…'_ That word saddened Kousei. Despite both him and Kaori confessing their love to each other, they couldn't find a way to tell their friends. Kousei wasn't sure, but he thought the word bothered Watari as well.

"So, Watari, what did you get her?" Tsubaki asked him.

"Oi, didn't you just say we're supposed to keep it secret?"

They arrived in front of Kaori's room and Kousei knocked.

"Kaori, it's us. Can we come in?"

He heard a cheerful "Sure!" and opened the door. Her parents were already there. They all spent a few minutes talking before the special moment came.

"Kao, me and these two brought you something." Tsubaki was the first to hand over her present. Kaori was obviously excited.

She opened the crimson package and found another small box inside.

"Earrings! Thank you, Tsubaki! I love them."

"I-I suppose I'm next." Watari said as he placed his present in her hands.

Same as before, Kaori opened the box carefully. Kousei was a little uneasy, thinking that Watari's present might make his look bad.

"I bought them a few days ago from the mall. I hope you'll like them." Watari said.

The box was full of CDs with classical music.

"Watari-kun! I love them, thank you!"

Kousei's heart was racing at this point. _'Why didn't I think about this…'_ But it didn't matter, it was his turn after all.

"I-it's my turn, Kaori!" He said as he took the small present box out of his pocket, slightly embarrassed after seeing Watari's. Their fingers touched for a brief moment when he gave her the box, causing him to blush.

"Oh, before I forget! I brought you guys some presents too. Let's open them all together!" She said as she took three presents from under her bed and gave them to her friends. It was obvious to Kousei that she was just stalling, perhaps being too shy to open his present right away. He took the small box that she handed him, similar in size and shape to the one he bought.

"Ooh! A soccer ball, and a high quality one at that!" Watari was clearly happy with his present.

"Kao! This must've been expensive!" Tsubaki said as she found a bracelet inside her box.

It was now that both Kousei and Kaori had to open theirs. Slowly opening the presents they found identical boxes inside, and they opened them at the same time.

Kousei was happy and surprised; her present was a piano keyboard necklace, just like the violin one he bought for her. Taken by surprise, he looked at her, her reaction being the same as his.

"D-do you like it?" He asked. He didn't have to wait for an answer.

"I love it!" She said with no hesitation and a bright smile on her face.

Kousei was now sure that the hours he spent hunting for a present were worth it, because of her smile.

"I-I love mine too!" He said in return.

' _She was right. In the end, I didn't really care what she bought me, the fact that this present came from her made me happier than I could ever wish to be. But truth be told, for me the real present is her smile. So, because of that…'_

"I will cherish it forever."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So… I'm two days late. I'm sorry guys, blame my computer. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out though, I hope you like it too. With that out of the way, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year too all of you! You guys are the best!**


	22. Chapter 22: Sunny Days

**Chapter 22** **: Sunny Days**

It was Sunday. A boy and a girl were spending their time together at the local mall. There were more people around than usual, some were there for the ridiculous discounts at a popular clothing shop, others were buying tickets for an upcoming movie. The boy and the girl however were just standing in front of a claw game machine.

"Normally I would say the game is rigged..." The black haired boy said.

"I guess." The blonde haired girl said in return while watching him.

"But I refuse to be defeated by this thing." He continued. "So, just a liiiitle bit to the left aaand..."

"Careful." The girl stood behind him, watching as his hands were shaking.

"THERE! I GOT IT!" The boy shouted. The claw machine ate a lot of his money, he even lost count of how many times he tried and failed to grab the Snoopy plush.

The girl was clapping behind him.

"Here, I want you to have it." The boy said as he gave it to her, all proud of himself.

"You're a sore loser, you know that?" She had an embarrassed expression on her face.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well… We've been here for about… an hour now."

"Wha-? It's already been an hour?"

"Yup…"

"…I guess I lost track or time, didn't I…"

"Hey… uh... Kousei?"

"Hmm?"

"Look over there." She said, pointing towards a nearby toy store.

Kousei then realized he wasted all that time and money in vain.

"T-they're selling the exact same plush…" He covered his face with his hands.

"I just noticed it too. Sorry, it's my fault…"

"Don't get all sad now, it's not your fault, I was the one who wouldn't give up."

"But I was the one who said it looks cute. You wouldn't have spent so much time and money on it if I hadn't said that…"

"Kaori." The boy took her hand in his. "Sorry for making you feel guilty about this. As you said, I don't like losing. And that machine over there was a formidable opponent!" He tried to cheer her up. "And besides, you asked me to stop quite a few times. So don't worry, I'm the one to blame here."

"If you say so…" Her face brightened. "Well, I guess all I can do now is love this little Snoopy so much that he'll be worth these money!" She hugged the plush to her chest. Once again, her special smile showed up.

"Yeah, and come on, we still have some time to ourselves."

"By the way, Kousei, I wanted to show you this new shop. They have those old records you said you wanted."

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

Kousei enjoyed the rest of the day, shopping with Kaori. It became a habit of theirs to go out on Sunday and check out every music shop they could, listening to the newest hits or sometimes classics. They were even exchanging their favorite playlists.

It was now evening.

"You could stop by, you know? Mom and dad love having you over for dinner." Kaori told him as they were nearing the Miyazono bakery.

"I don't know. I had dinner with you a lot lately. I don't want them to think I'm too lazy to cook for myself or something like that."

"Kousei?"

"Hmm?"

"You think too much."

"Hey now, I have to impress them, you know?"

"They already like you though."

"I guess, but still, I have to show them that I'm reliable and trustworthy."

"Then you can do that by having dinner with us. You can't impress them if you don't talk to them more often, right? And besides, you're already more reliable than most of the other boys your age."

"You mean it?" Kousei's feet stopped.

"Of course. You're more than any girl could ask for."

Kaori's cheeks reddened as she realized what she just said.

"A-anyway, you have to stay for dinner, I promised mom I'll ask you to."

Kousei was still looking at her, unable to say anything. Kaori took him by by surprise.

"…O-okay. I guess I'll come."

His words got him another smile from Kaori, followed immediately by a hug.

"Thank you."

It felt like time had stopped for them. Kousei closed his eyes, taking in her scent, the feel of her hair, the warmth of her body, a thousand years could've passed in an instant and he wouldn't have noticed it.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, sorry for the hiatus, college sucks. So anyway, I apologize for this short chapter. I didn't have much time but more is coming later, so don't worry.**

 **Again, sorry for making you wait. I promise I'll deliver more chapters soon.**

 **Oh, and thank you for your reviews, it always warms my heart to know people enjoy this story.**

 **As always, thanks for reading.**


	23. Chapter 23: The Story So Far (I)

**Chapter 23: The Story So Far (I)**

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So I figured that since I've been gone for a while I should recap the story so far. I wanted to make it a little more "special", so to say. Therefore, at some points in the chapter I'll ask you to play a certain song in the background (on low volume, so you can read properly. Oh, and make sure you listen to the full version of the songs, not the short versions. Change the song only once I tell you what the next one is, until then let it play on loop). I'll also have different parts of the story as sub-chapters. I hope you'll find this chapter enjoyable.**

* * *

 **Rebirth - (Kousei) Song: 7! – Orange (Your Lie in April – Ed 2)**

' _It was snowing that day. I was performing in front of a thousand people, some would say it was a very important moment, and it really was… for a different reason. In that moment, I wasn't playing for them. I was playing for you. The tears that were running down my cheeks weren't because of some unknown emotion, but because I finally knew what I truly wanted.'_

' _Although I knew the end was near, I didn't want to lose you. So I followed that glimmer of hope. I left the stage and ran like I've never ran before in my life, all because I felt that I'll find you there. In that instance colors were starting to fade, all I could see was the white snow that covered the entire world. The monotone world surrounding led me to believe I was walking towards certain despair. But when I arrived, two simple words removed the sombre veil that covered my eyes._

" _She survived"_

 **Rebirth – (Kaori)**

' _I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't remember anything. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything. Yet I knew who I was, and why I wanted to return to him. I was stuck in a dark place, an empty void that I've never seen before, even in my worst nightmares. The thought of being stuck there terrified me, but amidst the death surrounding me, I felt something. It was a beautiful melody. That boy was asking me to dream again, even after I reached all my dreams, he asked me to dream once more.'_

 **Rebirth – (Kousei)**

' _One by one, all of my fears were banished. Not only did she survive, she would live an entire life from now on. The cursed disease that slowly ate away at her was gone. The girl who stole my heart was now finally free.'_

' _I realized then how selfish I was, how I should've been here for her. Even if she didn't return my feelings, that didn't change what I felt for her. More than anything… I wanted see her smile once more._

 **Rebirth – (Kaori)**

' _The piano kept playing, each note pushing me further away from the void. Slowly, the darkness gained color. The brilliant blue of the sky broke through the infinite black sea, and before I knew it I was floating in an endless ocean.'_

' _The one who pulled me away from that place was the same boy who asked me to play with him once more. Looking back, I don't think I would've escaped without his help. I still remember his words'_

" _You already taught me how to escape that place before, remember? Just look up. Look up and… look at me."_

 _ **Rebirth – Chapters 1-3**_

* * *

 **My Special One – (Kousei) Song: Kirameki – Wacci (Your Lie in April - Ed 1)**

' _If someone asked me how I felt when I opened that door, I wouldn't know what to tell them. It was the sort of feeling you get when you know that nothing is wrong in the world, that you could live a single moment forever… that the one in front of you is never going away again. She told me she heard me play, despite being asleep the whole time, she heard me play. It made me happy to know that, even when the world itself stands between us, I can always know that she's with me.'_

' _Once she was gone from the room, curiosity got the better of me. I took the letter that had my name on it, not once considering that she might hate me for it. I knew, as much as I wanted to deny it… I knew that the letter she left for me was in case she couldn't come back.'_

 **My Special One – (Kaori)**

' _What can you say when you know someone loves you, yet you can't admit your own feelings?'_

' _I was truly happy to see him, knowing that he was there for me made me happy. To be honest, as much as I want to, I don't know how to tell him about my feelings.'_

' _In the end there was no need. The letter I left for him was gone, and I knew that he must have been the one who took it.'_

 **My Special One – (Kousei)**

'The more I read, the more everything made sense. The letter she left me slowly opened my eyes. But the most important words were the ones I never expected to hear from her.'

"Arima Kousei. I love you, I love you, I love you."

'Those words meant more to me than any others. I don't think I can compare the happiness I felt back then to anything else. That letter let me know the real Kaori, the girl who faced her inevitable end with a smile, the girl who helped me more than I could've asked her to, the girl who didn't want to have any regrets, the girl who loved me.'

'I still remember the tears I shed that night.'

 **My Special One – Chapters 4-5**

* * *

 **Our Lies – (Kousei and Kaori) Song: Eine Kleine – Kagerou Project ver.**

 _ **Kaori**_

' _I knew… that once he read the letter I left for him he'll know the truth. Truth be told, I didn't know how I felt about it. Each thought that passed through my mind kept me up at night. What if he doesn't like me that way? What if he'll hate me for leaving a letter instead of telling him the truth? Will he hate me because I lied to him? Is he going to hate me because I wasn't brave enough to tell him sooner?_

 _ **Kousei**_

' _I understood why she didn't tell me. I couldn't blame her, after all, her lie was selfless. Instead of trying to fulfill her own wish, she helped me with mine. It was selfish of me to spend the whole day thinking about it instead of going to her, now that I remember._

 _ **Kaori**_

 _That was one of the longest days of my life. The entire time I spent looking outside the window, waiting for him to come. The longer I waited the more I expected him to hate me._

 _ **Kousei**_

' _I have to apologize, it wasn't my intention. I wanted to spend as much time as I could thinking about the whole situation. I never expected Kaori to feel the same way I did, but the truth was that she did. There was nothing else in the way now.'_

' _The girl I met back in april, the one who brought color back into my life, the one I fell in love with, the one whose smile I wanted to see again… I promised I'll never leave her alone again.'_

 _ **Kaori**_

' _Kousei was really clumsy that day. The way he opened the door, the way he gave me his gifts, including Mr. Fuzzy the Teddy Bear… I remember being terrified at the smallest gesture he made, expecting his next words to be "I don't feel the same way, I'm sorry." But he didn't. Instead something that warmed my heart.'_

" _I promise I won't leave you alone again, Miyazono Kaori."_

 _ **Kousei**_

" _I promise I'll always be by your side."_

' _Do you remember, Kaori?'_

 _ **Kaori**_

' _Of course. How could I ever forget? Those days were one dream come true after another._

 _ **Kousei**_

' _Do you remember what I said next?'_

 _ **Kaori**_

' _Yep. Your words were: "Kaori…"_

 _ **Kousei & Kaori**_

"… _I love you"_

 **Our Lies – Chapters 6-7**

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This is the first part of this recap. Hopefully you liked it, I certainly enjoyed writing it and remembering of the time I wrote these chapters months ago. If you have anything you wish to tell me then please do so in the reviews, I read every single one and even reply to them in PMs. I love you, guys. Thank you for reading.**


	24. Chapter 24: The Fateful Night

**A/N**

 **I have to apologize to all of you who have waited so long for me to finish this. Life got hard and I had to start taking stuff seriously. Reading every review that was asking me not to stop writing for Symphony of Love was both heartwarming, because it made me happy to see people who genuinely liked it, but also sad because I didn't want to disappoint you.**

 **My original plan for the story was longer, about 60 more chapters at least. I realized however that it's an unrealistic goal and I don't really have much to say in all of these chapters beside making up new characters and situations. It would be basically filler, therefore I decided I wouldn't do that.**

 **So... prepare for a time-skip, because I threw away almost all of it beside the final few chapters. I might reference stuff that was supposed to happen in my original draft of the story, because I had a lot of stuff written already.**

 **That said. I hope you still enjoy this farewell I have for the characters, even if some of it seems rushed or if I outright skipped stuff that I was setting up.**

 **Once again. Thank you for waiting.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 24: The Fateful Night**_

It was dark outside and the stars were illuminating the sky, making for a beautiful scenery. Despite the usual noise of the city, tonight was a silent night. Past midnight, a certain young man couldn't sleep, so he instead sat down on a chair right outside the balcony doors and started counting the lights. He hoped doing so would help him fall asleep or at least stop thinking, but it ended up as yet another failed attempt.

 _'Silence'_ he thought.

It was too silent. When he first arrived in London, he had a hard time adapting to the new landscape. However, day by day, he started to like it. Tokyo was a busy city as well, but London was different in a way he couldn't explain. Whether it was boredom, melancholy or sadness he couldn't understand, but he was certain of one thing. He hated the loneliness more than anything.

Staring out the window, his eyes shifted to the coffee table in the middle of the room, where he placed a precious item he had bought. Then he looked out the window again, at the urban landscape.

He wondered if his lack of sleep will be an issue for tomorrow. After all, he had somewhere important to be. And yet he still couldn't fall asleep.

Despite the appearance, it was not a problem for him, more like an inconvenience. His body was fully aware of what was to come, and he couldn't close an eye until he saw it through. It wouldn't be an understatement to say this was the most terrifying moment in his life so far. Even more so than a certain night at the hospital.

He couldn't remembered how it happened, but in the end he made peace with his mind and tried once again to fall asleep. If it was up to him he would stay awake until morning, but he didn't want to cause problems for someone else.

* * *

"You look like someone who needs more than a coffee to wake up, Kousei."

It was morning routine for them at this point. It might be the last year of college, but waking up is never an easy task, even more so when you sleep only 3 hours a night.

The two boys, or rather young men, were sitting at a table drinking their morning coffee. The taller one had spiky blonde hair, while the one called Kousei had short black hair and still wore glasses.

"Not my fault, Takeshi. I told you I'm horrified of today. I'll never understand how you did it." The black haired young man looked at his coffee.

Arima Kousei was in his last year of college. Despite having studied in Japan until high school he decided he could only follow his dreams if he came to Europe and study music.

Aiza Takeshi was in the same boat, although less stressed about it. Despite Arima being the better pianist of the two, Aiza was following closely behind him.

The two of them became best friends years before, as the few other male friends Kousei had in middle school had walked a different path, although he was still in contact with some of them.

"So, tell me. How did you sneak away from her?" Takeshi asked him.

"I set up my clock alarm, took a cold shower and ran away before she could come to wake me up." Kousei answered.

"So in other words you slept even less than I thought... I worry about your sanity at this rate." Takeshi laughed.

"It's not like I do this every night. You know very well the reason why."

"Yeah, I guess I do. I'm just pulling your leg. I still can't process the fact that you're finally about to do it."

Takeshi looked around the cafe, as if imitating a spy from a movie. He checked out every one in the room, even looked out the window. Finally he turned back to Kousei, leaned closer and whispered:

"You got the stuff?"

Kousei was too tired for this.

"We're not dealing nuclear weapons, Takeshi." Sighed Kousei. _'Although it might very well be one. I guess it classifies as a weapon of mass destruction in some way.'_ He thought.

"Of course it is!" Takeshi insisted with a grin on his face. "There are not stronger weapons in this world! You know how often love and war come up in the same topic? Well, the nuke might be the most powerful weapon of war, but what you have there is the most powerful weapon of love!"

"All those movies have corrupted you..." Kousei was too tired for this.

"Hey now, don't say that, an artist must fell romance flow through his blood."

"What you have in your blood right now is called caffeine." Kousei looked at his cup. "And I just realized I need a few more."

"If that one didn't wake you up then ten more won't do the job. Unless you want to end up in the hospital."

Kousei ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Next time I'll buy some sleeping pills, although I don't trust them too much either".

Takeshi took a sip of his coffee. "You know, it is kind of entertaining to see you lose your cool like this. The Great Pianist of out University! What would all the girls say if they saw you like this?"

"I guess they would finally stay away?"

"Good point. However I think you're underestimating them." Takeshi took another sip of his coffee. "So, let's finish our masterplan for today. You got everything, right?"

"Yes. There shouldn't be any problem."

* * *

The next hour passed slowly. Takeshi and Kousei revised the plan for the big day and ran to their positions. To say spy movies have influenced them would be an understatement. They synchronized their clocks, set up their earpieces and decided on the code names.

"Why did you choose historical figures though?" Kousei asked through the earpiece.

"I won't reply unless you say over, over." Takeshi replied.

Kousei sighed. He was too tired for this. "Why did you choose historical figures? Over."

"No particular reason. I was playing some gacha game and it seemed to fit".

"Anyway" said Kousei. "What's the target's location? Over."

"She's proceeding as planned, no worries over."

"Alright, let me go over the plan once more to make sure there's nothing to go wrong here, got it?"

"Sure, Double-O Arima."

It was nearly evening.

"So, the plan is for me to meet the target outside the restaurant as soon as she arrives. Once we enter you will reveal the _'bomb'_ and the other ' _agents'_ on-site. The very next moment I pull out my _'gun'_ and _'take her into custody'._ Is all clear?"

"... you know, it sounds a bit silly now that you put it that way."

"You're the one who chose the theme for our plan, Double-O Aiza. Now deal with it. Haha"

Despite being tired out of his mind, Kousei couldn't help but enjoy the whole thing. Everything would be over soon after all.

* * *

He waited in front of the restaurant, slowly moving from step to step trying to keep his cool and not give away his intentions. It was a cold evening and he couldn't wait to se-

"Umm, Kousei? Are you okay?"

A voice called out from next to him. He was so stressed that he failed to see the girl he was waiting for standing right behind him.

The blonde girl standing next to him was the most beautiful person in the world. Having been sleepy all day and barely holding on, he felt as if he had received a shot of adrenaline upon seeing her.

"K-Kaori! Sorry, I was deep in thought" Kousei faked a laugh.

"Hmm... By the way, where did you go this morning? I came to wake you up so we could have some fun together..."

The look on her face made it obvious to him that she felt hurt. It might not be much, but Kaori wanted to spend as much time with Kousei as possible.

Years ago she suffered from a disease that was certain to end her life, so she kept it a secret from everyone. However, by some miracle she survived and made a full recovery. Ever since that terrible night when Kousei ran to the hospital, praying to every god and every divine being to save her, he knew he loved her more than anyone else in this world.

At first it might've been just infatuation, or a simple crush. Kousei wasn't sure of himself for a long time, and Kaori felt guilty because of her lie. It might've started as a simple young love, but it developed into a true relationship over time.

Supporting each other, believing in each other, being honest with each other. The love they had for each other matured with time, and made it obvious to both of them that there's no one else in the world they would rather call "My Special One". That was the reason for the whole madness of today that Kousei had planned.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to hide from you, but let's just say I prepared something for you." Kousei looked into her eyes, feeling guilty for hiding the whole thing from her. "So... will you forgive me?"

Kaori couldn't help but smile. "Of course I do." She grabbed his arm. "After all, you invited me here for dinner. I can hardly be mad at you."

Kousei sighed in relief. Kaori was not strict or anything, but Kousei always apologized if he felt he hurt her in any way.

"Be ready." Kousei whispered into his earpiece's mic.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Said Kaori.

"Oh, I just said you look very beautiful tonight!"

Indeed she did. She wore a black and white dress and her hair was tied in a ponytail. The two made their way inside. The restaurant was quite a sight compared to many in the city. All the tables were surrounding an elevated stage where a pianist was playing.

Once Kousei and Kaori found their table, they started talking about random topics for a few minutes. Kousei fell silent suddenly, simply looking at the one he loved and thinking about what life has in store for them after today.

*bzz* *bzz*

He received a message.

 _'Alright then. It's now or never'_

Kousei stood up from his seat.

"Something wrong, Kousei?" Kaori was wondering.

He looked towards the stage and signaled the pianist. The blonde haired pianist stopped his previous piece and suddenly started a new one.

"Chopin?" Kaori was surprised to hear.

The very next moment, everyone else in the restaurant stood up as well, and looking closely Kaori recognized their faces. They were all people she and Kousei knew at some point in their life. Among them she even saw her parents.

Looking up at Kousei with wide eyes, she saw him coming closer.

"Wha-"

Before she could finish, Kousei knelt in front of her, took a small box out of his pocket and opened it in front of her.

"Miyazono Kaori..." He started. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I hope you liked this one, because more are coming. I can't express how sorry I am for leaving you all hanging for more than a year. I intend to make it up to you and finish this story at least. Again, I apologize and I thank you for reading.**


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